A case report of an uncommon cause of cauda equina symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
This case report discusses a patient who presented with right-sided buttock pain of apparently uncomplicated mechanical origin that was eventually diagnosed as a primary Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the sacrum.


METHODS
A 32-year-old male full-time student presented for care with right-sided buttock pain.


RESULTS
After examination, the patient was referred to his general practitioner for urgent magnetic resonance imaging, the report revealed no explanation for the presenting symptoms. After further imaging and biopsy, an eventual diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor was reached. The patient died 12 months later.


CONCLUSIONS
This case highlights a nondiscal cause for cauda equina symptoms. It emphasizes potential diagnostic complexities that may present due to preconceptions based upon the probability of symptoms being related to a specific disease process.
Kier
Annabel
A
Welsh Institute of Chiropractic (WIOC), University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, Wales, UK. akier@glam.ac.uk
Timchur
Martin D
MD
McCarthy
Peter W
PW
D000328:Adult; D002081:Buttocks; D002420:Cauda Equina; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018241:Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive, Peripheral / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012447:Sacrum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis