A 48-Year-Old Man With Paralysis and Hypotension

Abstract

A 48-year-old man presented to the emergency department with acute paralysis from the umbilicus down. The patient was watching television and drinking beer with friends when he developed the sudden onset of bilateral lower extremity paralysis associated with loss of bowel control. The patient denied any trauma, chest pain, abdominal pain, or syncope. His medical history was significant for hypertension, tobacco abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression with suicide attempts. He had no history of surgery.