Lumbar disc herniation and cauda equina syndrome. Considerations on a pathology with different clinical manifestations.

The authors describe six cases of cauda equina syndrome (CES) with different clinical manifestations, etiopathogenetic causes, and degrees of disc prolapse. In three of the cases, the clinical onset was dramatic and acute, in the others it was a hemisyndrome (with acute onset in only 1 case). The site of the disc prolapse was L4-L5 in 3 patients, L3-L4 in 2 patients, and L5-S1 in 1 patient. The authors emphasize the need for the early recognition of the syndrome with a careful clinical examination and history of the patient, as well as timely treatment within 24 hours. For the sake of prevention, and particularly when the hernia is large, the authors suggest monitoring of the stability of the residual disc during surgery and postoperatively the use of a brace for at least one month.