Pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) is a cause of chronic pelvic pain in women and is defined as pelvic pain lasting for more than six months.The diagnosis of PCS is a challenging task for the gynaecologist. It can be due to many varied causes like endometriosis, adhesions, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ovarian cyst, fibroids, pelvic varicosities. Radiology plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of PCS. Pelvic UltraSonography (PUS),transvaginal sonography (TVS) with doppler, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and ovarian venography are usually used in the diagnosis of this condition. We report a case of a 35-year-old multiparous patient with history of pain in lower abdomen, vaginal discharge and general lethargy for past three years who was diagnosed as a case of PCS based on typical TVS and Doppler findings.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune disorder that presents with neurological symptoms that can mimic other conditions. This mimicry can hide other important neurological diagnoses. Here, we present a rare case of thoracic myelopathy secondary to a sequestered dorsal epidural herniated disc fragment that initially presented with the classic findings of GBS.A 58-year-old female presented with progressing bilateral lower extremity weakness, paresthesias, and absent bilateral lower extremity deep tendon reflexes. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were disproportionate to presentation, and lumbar puncture fluid analysis revealed clear, colorless fluid with albuminocytological dissociation. The patient was diagnosed with GBS and treated with a short course of intravenous steroids followed by intravenous immunoglobulin. The patient later developed new-onset ulnar distribution paresthesias, lower extremity spasticity, constipation, and urinary retention that caused a decline in functional progress. Further investigation prompted evaluation with cervical and thoracic MRIs, which revealed a left dorsal epidural lesion at the T9-T10 level causing severe cord compression. The patient was definitively treated with a T9-T10 laminectomy and excision of the offending lesion. Pathology revealed collagenous tissue with fibroblastic proliferation, consistent with a sequestered fragment of the herniated intervertebral disc. The patient was further treated with both acute and subacute rehabilitation. She was eventually discharged home and was able to ambulate independently with a walker.Dependency on positive albuminocytological dissociation in cases of potential GBS can lead to errors in diagnostic accuracy and delay appropriate treatment. Clinicians should remain mindful that GBS is a diagnosis of exclusion and MRI of the entire spine should be considered when the diagnosis of GBS is uncertain.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.