Post-irradiation lesions of the caudal roots

The article reports on 3 patients suffering from muscular atrophy after radiotherapy of the para-aortal lymph nodes for malignant testicular tumor without any sensory, bladder, or bowel disburbances. By neurophysiological examination, a lesion of the lumbal plexus and the peripheral nerves of the lower extremities were excluded. On EMG-examination there were no giant motor unit potentials, as they can be found in anterior horn cell lesions. Though there were no sensory deficits, a distinct prolongation of latencies and reduction of amplitudes could be found for lumbar dermatomal somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) and those after stimulation of some peripheral nerves of the lower extremities. (author)