Metastatic Prostate Adenocarcinoma Presenting as Acute Quadriplegia: A Case Report and Racial Disparity Analysis

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in males with the highest incidence and mortality among African Americans. Most prostate cancers are low-grade and slowly progressive.  Prostate cancer can be asymptomatic in the early stages, as exemplified by diagnosis through incidental findings, but typically manifests as a change in urinary habits and characteristics, including frequency and dysuria. If diagnosed at the time of distant metastases, then the patient may complain of bone pain in the hips, legs, or feet, or lower extremity edema. We present the case of a 74-year-old African American male with no past medical history who presented to the emergency department with acute quadriplegia secondary to metastatic spinal cord compression. The patient required admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and his quadriplegia was successfully treated with cervical arthrodesis, laminectomy, spinal instrumentation, and fusion, high-dose intravenous (IV) steroids, and physical and occupational therapy. Overall, the purpose of this case report is to critically review and investigate the factors behind a patient's atypical, rare, and underreported initial presentation of metastatic prostate cancer. The study discusses the literature on advancements in prostate cancer screening and highlights the importance of a broad differential. Most remarkably, the vignette prompts an analysis of the racial disparity gap in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment demonstrates the need for further research toward improved health outcomes, and proposes multiple avenues to promote health equity.