1st September 2020

A 69-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with severe back pain

A 69-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with severe back pain. This pain has been present for the last 24 hours, radiates down her right leg and is getting worse. She admits that she has been increasingly unable to stop the passage of her stool over this period.  

On examination, you notice that her right leg is weak, with reduced tone and reflexes, whilst her left leg is normal.

For the patient above, please select the SINGLE most likely scenario. Select ONE option from the list above.