{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,28]],"date-time":"2025-08-28T00:03:38Z","timestamp":1756339418891,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"BMJ","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Case Reports"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2015,10,31]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Lumbar disc herniations are rare in pregnancy, with an incidence of 1:10\u2005000. Less than 2% of these herniations result in cauda equina syndrome (CES). Diagnosing CES in pregnant patients can be difficult because changes in bladder and bowel habits are common in normal pregnancies. We present the case of a 29-year-old woman, with a history of lumbar radiculopathy, who presented at 39\u2005weeks gestation with severe lower back and bilateral lower limb radiculopathy. Symptoms of CES began to develop only after the onset of labour. Diagnostic MRI was obtained following delivery and the patient was treated by microdiscectomy. Following surgery, bladder and bowel function began to normalise and at 3\u2005months follow-up, she had made a full recovery. To the best of our knowledge, CES has never been reported to present during labour. This case highlights the diagnostic dilemma and need for a high index of suspicion.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2015-212119","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,11,18]],"date-time":"2015-11-18T08:47:39Z","timestamp":1447836459000},"page":"bcr2015212119","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Presentation of cauda equina syndrome during labour"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"2015","author":[{"given":"Conor Stephen","family":"Jones","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Exeter, Devon, UK"},{"name":"Exeter Spine Unit, Exeter, Devon, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Salil","family":"Patel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Exeter, Devon, UK"},{"name":"Exeter Spine Unit, Exeter, Devon, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"William","family":"Griffiths-Jones","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Exeter Spine Unit, Exeter, Devon, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Oliver M","family":"Stokes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Exeter Spine Unit, Exeter, Devon, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2015,11,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.1","first-page":"319","article-title":"Pregnancy and the herniated lumbar disc","volume":"64","author":"LaBan","year":"1983","journal-title":"Arch Phys Med Rehabil"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.2","first-page":"556","article-title":"Cauda equina syndrome: a comprehensive review","volume":"37","author":"Gitelman","year":"2008","journal-title":"Am J Orthop"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1479-828X.1999.tb03389.x"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/014107689809100213"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.5","first-page":"140","article-title":"Cauda equina syndrome in pregnancy due to disc prolapse","volume":"9","author":"Mohapatra","year":"2008","journal-title":"JIACM"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/postgradmedj-2013-132377"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.0004-8666.2002.00482.x"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijgo.2005.09.028"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1148\/radiology.170.1.2521192"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00016340500438447"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00586-010-1668-3"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.spinee.2015.01.006"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.1016\/S1701-2163(15)30612-5","article-title":"The use of magnetic resonance imaging in the obstetric patient","volume":"36","author":"Patenaude","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Obstet Gynaecol Can"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/BRS.0b013e31817c6c7d"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"652","DOI":"10.1038\/ncpneuro0952","article-title":"How should pregnant women with spinal disease be managed?","volume":"4","author":"Brookfield","year":"2008","journal-title":"Nat Clin Pract Neurol"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03022034"},{"key":"2025082703571455000_2015.nov17_2.bcr2015212119.17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2030","DOI":"10.2106\/00004623-200409000-00023","article-title":"Lumbar disc excision and cesarean delivery during the same anesthesia. A case report","volume":"86","author":"Brown","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Bone Joint Surg Am"}],"container-title":["BMJ Case Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2015-212119","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,27]],"date-time":"2025-08-27T10:57:24Z","timestamp":1756292244000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/casereports.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2015-212119"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2015,11,18]]},"references-count":17,"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bcr-2015-212119"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bcr-2015-212119","relation":{},"ISSN":["1757-790X"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"1757-790X"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2015,11,18]]}}}