UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: What's the Diagnosis? Case by Dr. Maite Huis in 't Veld

Posted: 6/8/2014 by Haney Mallemat, MD (Emailed: 6/10/2014) (Updated: 6/9/2014)
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Question

28 year-old female with history of chronic back pain presents with right-foot numbness and inability to move her foot at the ankle joint. What’s the diagnosis and what neurologic finding would you expect to find?

Answer

Large disc bulge at L5-S1

Patient in the case was found to have reduced:
- Dorsiflexion (2/5)
- Plantar flexion (4/5)
- Reduced sensation in L5-S1 dermatome
Neurosurgery emergently took the patient to operating room for an L5-S1 discectomy.
Patient discharged the following day with improved motor and sensory findings

References

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