Adult tethered cord syndrome mimicking lumbar disc disease.
OBJECTIVE
This paper reports four tethered cord cases who initially applied with lumbar disk disease symptoms.


METHODS
All of them were investigated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and somatosensory evoked potential (SSPE). In two patients, MRI revealed thick and fatty filum terminale, while in remaining two, the filum terminale appeared as normal in thickness. SSEP revealed pathological conduction values in all, and it was the main indicator for surgical sectioning in patients especially with normal MRI investigations. All patients had benefit from the surgical sectioning of the fila terminalia with either thick and fatty or normal appearance.


CONCLUSIONS
A particular patient with lumbar disc disease symptoms having normal MRI should also be investigated for tight filum terminale. If there is no pathological appearance in MRI investigation (both in regard to disc herniation and thick and fatty filum terminale), SSEP investigation should be done to check whether a conduction block or delay is present, indicating cord tethering.
Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
Ahmet Sukru
AS
Umur
Mehmet
M
Selcuki
Deniz
D
Selcuki
Altay
A
Bedük
Latife
L
Doganay
D000328:Adult; D002420:Cauda Equina / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000175:diagnosis*