Bilateral acute foot drop following lumbar disc herniation--a case report.

Cauda equina compression and acute unilateral foot drop are commonly described associations with prolapsed intervertebral lumbar disc. The bilateral acute foot drop however is a rare occurrence. A 45-year-old adult male labourer presented with 1 month history of low backache, with acute exacerbation 1 day later. He developed acute bilateral foot drop and urinary retention within 2 hours. An urgent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed large central disc prolapse at L3-L4 level with significant canal stenosis. He was operated on emergent basis following which he had progressive neurological improvement.