Raheem Omer A, Hickey David P
Department of Urology and Transplantation, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
J Med Case Rep. 2011 Apr 14;5:148. doi: 10.1186/1752-1947-5-148.
Postirradiation lumbosacral syndrome is a radiculopathy induced by radiation injury to the spinal cord. Its usual presentation is motor deficit and or sensory loss involving the lower limbs. Visceral involvement has not been reported previously.
We describe a case of severe hypotonic bladder caused by radiation-induced spinal cord injury following treatment of stage Ι testicular seminoma in a 38-year-old Caucasian man who had undergone radical orchidectomy and prophylactic paraaortic lymph node irradiation for stage Ι seminoma. Three years later he had clinical and urodynamic findings of hypotonic bladder. The magnetic resonance imaging results suggested a radiation-induced injury.
Such an unusual presentation of the syndrome of postirradiation lumbosacral radiculopathy can impose a clinical challenge to practicing clinicians. Future studies are required to further delineate the mechanism of injury and further management plans.