Intermittent claudication due to ischaemia of the lumbosacral plexus

The distinct clinical syndrome of exercise induced ischaemia of the lumbosa cral plexus is not a widely known cause for intermittent claudication. Eigh t patients with the mentioned syndrome were investigated clinically, neurop hysiologically, and with imaging techniques. The clinical examination showe d a typical exercise induced sequence of symptoms: pain, paraesthesia, and sensory and motor deficits. The underlying vascular conditions were high gr ade stenoses or occlusions of the arteries supplying the lumbosacral plexus . Spinal stenosis could be excluded in all cases. Five patients received su ccessful interventional radiological therapy. The syndrome can be diagnosed clinically and successful therapy is possible by interventional radiology.