Abstract

Leriche syndrome is caused by an atherosclerotic occlusion of the aortoiliac arteries which produces vascular insufficiency in the pelvic region .This can produce ischemia of neural structures with symptoms of neuropathy causing the diagnosis to be overlooked especially in diabetics .Our patient was a 61 year old diabetic whose presenting  symptoms were acute pain and  paresthesias in the back which  radiated down the right lower limb and suggestive of a degenerative disc disease. The patient did not recover with the conventional treatment for the same and was reviewed. The symptoms appeared on walking and subsided on rest. This history prompted a complete vascular evaluation which established the diagnosis. The pain due to the disc disease takes time to heal but our patient made an unexpectedly rapid recovery after medical measures to improve circulation were instituted. Presumably the oxygen tension in the nerve trunk was lowered during exercise as a simultaneous increase in the blood supply through the vasa nervorum was prevented due to the aortoilliac disease. The extensive collaterals help in normalizing life in some cases as ours who sought medical help only when the radiculopathy due to a relatively mild disc disease was precipitated by the compromised circulation.

Keywords: Leriche syndrome; Radiculopathy.