Objective: To describe clinical features relevant to diagnosis, mechanism, and etiology in patients with "scan-negative" cauda equina syndrome (CES).
Methods: We carried out a prospective study of consecutive patients presenting with the clinical features of CES to a regional neurosurgery center comprising semi-structured interview and questionnaires investigating presenting symptoms, neurologic examination, psychiatric and functional disorder comorbidity, bladder/bowel/sexual function, distress, and disability.
Results: A total of 198 patients presented consecutively over 28 months.