Ewings sarcoma as an etiology for persistent back pain in a 17-year-old girl after trauma to the back.
Back pain--a common complaint familiar to all physicians--can be either a manifestation of musculoskeletal dysfunction or a symptom of a more serious underlying disease. Unfortunately, the diagnosis can be difficult, and back pain that is not resolved by conservative treatment requires aggressive investigation. The author presents the case history of a 17-year-old patient whose back pain had been extensively evaluated by a series of specialists to no avail until further workup revealed the problem to be Ewing's sarcoma. The steps required to diagnose elusive back pain are presented, together with a brief discussion of cauda equina syndrome and conus medullaris syndrome, components of both of which were found in this patient.
Mount Clemens General Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, MI 48043.
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Paul
D000293:Adolescent; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D002420:Cauda Equina / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology