THE CLINICAL EVALUATION
History
In a meta-analysis of 15 studies and
464 patients, the most common
symptoms of cauda equina syndrome
were sciatica (96%), micturition dysfunction
(89%), saddle anesthesia or
hypoesthesia (81%), and defecation
dysfunction (47%).8 These figures
must be interpreted cautiously as
substantial interstudy variation exists
in terminology. Individual symptoms
of cauda equina syndrome include
the following: