What is conus medullaris syndrome?
Conus medullaris syndrome is a type of incomplete spinal cord injury that is less likely to cause paralysis than many other types of spinal cord injuries. Instead, the most common symptoms include: Severe back pain. Strange or jarring sensations in the back, such as buzzing, tingling, or numbness.
What is the treatment for conus medullaris?
Depending on its cause, spinal decompression surgery, radiation, and antibiotics can be used to treat the symptoms. In addition, physical therapy is also necessary to regain function.
Is conus medullaris syndrome a spinal cord injury?
Conus medullaris syndrome is caused by an injury or insult to the conus medullaris and lumbar nerve roots. It is a clinical subset of spinal cord injury syndromes. Injuries at the level of T12 to L2 vertebrae are most likely to result in conus medullaris syndrome.
What does low lying conus mean?
The conus is low-lying when the tip is abnormally located below the lower border of the L2 vertebral body, and the filum is thickened if it appears wider than 1.5 to 2.0 mm on MRI.
Where does conus medullaris terminate?
Conclusions: The CM terminates most commonly at the L1-2 disc space and in the absence of tethering, the CM virtually never ends below the mid-body of L2. A CM that appears more caudal on neuroimages should be considered tethered.
What does the conus medullaris contain?
The spinal cord ends at the intervertebral disc between the first and second lumbar vertebrae as a tapered structure called the conus medullaris, consisting of sacral spinal cord segments. The upper border of the conus medullaris is often not well defined.
Where does conus medullaris taper?
The conus medullaris (Latin for “medullary cone”) or conus terminalis is the tapered, lower end of the spinal cord. It occurs near lumbar vertebral levels 1 (L1) and 2 (L2), occasionally lower.
What is the difference between cauda equina and conus medullaris syndrome?
The symptoms and signs of cauda equina syndrome tend to be mostly lower motor neuron (LMN) in nature, while those of conus medullaris syndrome are a combination of LMN and upper motor neuron (UMN) effects (see Table 1, below).
What causes low-lying conus medullaris?
In the tethered cord syndrome, the spinal cord is fixed to the surrounding bony spine usually because of an intradural lipoma or a thickened filum terminale, resulting in a conus medullaris below L1–L2 in the mature spine (lower in premature infants).
What does Conus stand for?
The continental U.S.
Military acronyms: Locations CONUS/OCONUS: The continental U.S., or CONUS, is the 48 connected states and District of Columbia. OCONUS is outside the continental U.S.
What is the conus medullaris made of?
The terminal portion of the spinal cord in the lumbar region is cone-shaped and is called the conus medullaris. The conus medullaris is made up of several neurons (nerve cells) and has 3 protective layers. Starting from the outermost layer, these are the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.
Where is the low lying conus medullaris located?
Low-lying conus medullaris: It refers to a low position of a normal-appearing conus medullaris with respect to the vertebral level. It is usually located between the T12–L1 and L1–L2 disk level; however, in 6.4% of population it can be found between the upper and middle third of L2. 1
What does it mean to have low lying Conus?
What does low lying Conus mean? The result is an abnormal stretching of the spinal cord with neurologic symptoms referable to the lower spinal cord. Diagnosis is made with MRI, which shows a low conus medullaris (i.e., below the bottom of the L2 vertebral body) or a thickened or fat-containing filum terminale.
Which is a secondary form of conus medullaris syndrome?
Conus Medullaris Syndrome Conus medullaris syndrome is a secondary form of spinal cord damage resulting from injuries to the lumber vertebrae. The conus medullarisis the bundled, tapered end of the spinal cord nerves.
Why does conus medullaris syndrome cause leg itchiness?
Conus medullaris syndrome is a type of incomplete spinal cord injury that is less likely to cause paralysis than many other types of spinal cord injuries. Sensations in your lower limbs that aren’t caused by a clinical issue. For instance, you might have itchiness in your leg that is not well-explained by an allergic reaction or other issue.