Endometriosis of the conus medullaris causing cyclic radiculopathy.
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.
Duke Scholars
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Related Subject Headings
- Spinal Cord Diseases
- Spinal Cord
- Radiculopathy
- Orthopedics
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Lumbar Vertebrae
- Immunohistochemistry
- Humans
- Female
- Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Spinal Cord Diseases
- Spinal Cord
- Radiculopathy
- Orthopedics
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Lumbar Vertebrae
- Immunohistochemistry
- Humans
- Female
- Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory