cauda equina syndrome

noun

: a group of symptoms that are caused by compression of the cauda equina and include pain in the lower back and legs, weakness and numbness in the groin, buttocks and legs, and impaired functioning of the bladder and bowel

Patients with cauda equina syndrome experience diminished sensation over the buttocks, posterior-superior thighs, and perineal region, and, in 20% to 80%, decreased anal sphincter tone.

—Janet L. Abrahm et al.