Skip to main content
PMC home page
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases logoLink to Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
. 1981 Jun;40(3):317–322. doi: 10.1136/ard.40.3.317

Cauda equina syndrome complicating ankylosing spondylitis: use of electromyography and computerised tomography in diagnosis.

A Young, A Dixon, J Getty, P Renton, H Vacher
PMCID: PMC1000772  PMID: 7247478

Abstract

A case of the cauda equina syndrome complicating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is described. An unusual feature of this case was the relapsing and remitting nature of the condition, but there is sufficient evidence to explain the clinical picture on the basis of a recurrent intraspinal inflammatory process. The clinical and radiological features are similar to those of a further 28 reported in the literature. An electromyogram (EMG) proved important in defining the extent of neurological involvement. Computerised tomography (CT) showed marked laminar erosion and no bony exit foramen encroachment. We believe that the clinical diagnosis of this condition can be adequately confirmed with plain radiology, EMG, and CT scan.

Full text

PDF
317

Images in this article

318Image
on p.318
319Image
on p.319
320Image
on p.320

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BOLAND E. W., HEADLEY N. E., HENCH P. S. The cerebrospinal fluid in rheumatoid spondylitis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1948 Dec;7(4):195–199. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ball J. Enthesopathy of rheumatoid and ankylosing spondylitis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1971 May;30(3):213–223. doi: 10.1136/ard.30.3.213. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Berman L., Isaacs H., Pickering A. Structural abnormalities of muscle tissue in ankylosing spondylitis. S Afr Med J. 1976 Jul 24;50(32):1238–1240. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bowie E. A., Glasgow G. L. Cauda Equina Lesions Associated with Ankylosing Spondylitis. Br Med J. 1961 Jul 1;2(5243):24–27. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5243.24. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cruickshankb Pathology of ankylosing spondylitis. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1971 Jan;74:43–58. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ebringer R. Symposium on the Spondylarthritides. Spondylarthritis and the post-infectious syndromes. Rheumatol Rehabil. 1979 Nov;18(4):218–229. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/18.4.218. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fournier A. M., Denizet D., Delagrange A. La lymphographie dans la spondylarthrite ankylosante. J Radiol Electrol Med Nucl. 1969 Nov;50(11):773–784. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. GOLDENBERG G. J., OGOTHETIS J. Neurologic manifestations in 2 cases of ankylosing spondylitis. J Lancet. 1961 Nov;81:448–450. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gordon A. L., Yudell A. Cauda equina lesion associated with rheumatoid spondylitis. Ann Intern Med. 1973 Apr;78(4):555–557. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-78-4-555. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. HAUGE T. Chronic rheumatoid polyarthritis and spondyl-arthritis associated with neurological symptoms and signs occasionally simulating an intraspinal expansive process. Acta Chir Scand. 1961 Feb;120:395–401. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hassan I. Cauda equina syndrome in ankylosing spondylitis: a report of six cases. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1976 Dec;39(12):1172–1178. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.39.12.1172. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jayson M. I., Salmon P. R., Harrison W. J. Inflammatory bowel disease in ankylosing spondylitis. Gut. 1970 Jun;11(6):506–511. doi: 10.1136/gut.11.6.506. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kinsella P., Ebringer R., Hooker J., Corbett M., Cox N., Parry C. B. Ankylosing spondylitis presenting as PUO. Br Med J. 1978 Jul 1;2(6129):19–20. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6129.19-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kramer L. D., Krouth G. J. Computerized tomography. An adjunct to early diagnosis in the cauda equina syndrome of ankylosing spondylitis. Arch Neurol. 1978 Feb;35(2):116–118. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1978.00500260054015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Matthews W. B. The neurological complications of ankylosing spondylitis. J Neurol Sci. 1968 May-Jun;6(3):561–573. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(68)90035-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Milde E. J., Aarli J., Larsen J. L. Cauda equina lesions in ankylosing spondylitis. Scand J Rheumatol. 1977;6(2):118–122. doi: 10.3109/03009747709095433. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rosenkranz W. Ankylosing spondylitis: cauda equina syndrome with multiple spinal arachnoid cysts. Case report. J Neurosurg. 1971 Feb;34(2 Pt 1):241–243. doi: 10.3171/jns.1971.34.2part1.0241. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Russell M. L., Gordon D. A., Ogryzlo M. A., McPhedran R. S. The cauda equina syndrome of ankylosing spondylitis. Ann Intern Med. 1973 Apr;78(4):551–554. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-78-4-551. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Thomas D. J., Kendall M. J., Whitfield A. G. Nervous system involvement in ankylosing spondylitis. Br Med J. 1974 Jan 26;1(5899):148–150. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5899.148. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES