Suspected Anterior Horn Disease Mistaken as a Mass in the Sacral Plexus: A Case Report

Abstract

Anterior horn disease is a medical disorder affecting the anterior horn of the spinal cord that contains the motor neurons responsible for body muscles. Poliomyelitis, spinal muscular atrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and progressive muscular atrophy are diseases that frequently include problems within the anterior horn. Anterior horn disease is characterized by selective involvement of muscles. Here, we describe a young female patient with ankle weakness and selective muscle atrophy. Her initial pelvic magnetic resonance imaging revealed a suspected intraneural ganglion lesion affecting the first sacral nerve of the sacral nerve plexus. Eventually, though, she was suspected of anterior horn disease based on the clinical symptoms and electrophysiological findings after orthopedic surgical procedure. J Neurol Res. 2016;6(5-6):118-123 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jnr407w