Endometriosis of the conus medullaris causing cyclic radiculopathy.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
Intramedullary spinal cord hematomas are a rare neurosurgical pathological entity typically arising from vascular and neoplastic lesions. Endometriosis is an extremely rare cause of intramedullary spinal cord hematoma, with only 5 previously reported cases in the literature. Endometriosis is characterized by ectopic endometrial tissue, typically located in the female pelvic cavity, that causes a cyclical pain syndrome, bleeding, and infertility. In the rare case of intramedullary endometriosis of the spinal cord, symptoms include cyclical lower-extremity radiculopathies and voiding difficulties, and can acutely cause cauda equina syndrome. The authors report a case of endometriosis of the conus medullaris, the first to include radiological, intraoperative, and histopathological imaging. A brief review of the literature is also presented, with discussion including etiological theories surrounding intramedullary endometriosis.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Steinberg, JA; Gonda, DD; Muller, K; Ciacci, JD
Published Date
- November 2014
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 21 / 5
Start / End Page
- 799 - 804
PubMed ID
- 25192376
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1547-5646
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.3171/2014.7.SPINE14117
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States