neurogenic bladder and bowel

[tealbluefave]

I have been diagnosed with neurogenic bladder (retention 150-200 cc and had urodynamics) and bowel dysfunction.  I cannot feel the need to go, have chronic constipation and something about the "squeeze reflex"  being absent (I had a manometry).  I was sent to a neurosurgeon for evaluation and he said because of the lack of loss of pereaneal sensation, there is no way it can be a spinal cause.  I feel as though my left leg is heavy and I did fall off a pony several years ago that left a huge bruise on my left hip.  My pelvis was x-rayed at that time, but they said it was fine.  A couple of years later, I had another x ray (may have been having hip pain) and the nurse called me over and showed me the xray and a line that looked like a fracture.  Is it true that a lack of loss of perineal sensation means that the problem can't be in my spine?  They kept telling me I may have MS and I have had several negative MRIs of the brain.   Thank you for your help.

[tealbluefave]

My apologies, I forgot to mention that I had an MRI of the lumbar spine.  It only showed a mild bulge at S4-S5.  The neurologist's report said it clearly was not big enough to explain my bowel and bladder symptoms. What would you recommend next?

[Abhijeet Ghosh]

Dear Friend,
Many thanks for the post and allowing me to guide you.
Peri-anal sensations are not lost very easily. These should be some damage to the sacral nerves, which can lead to this.
Else MS or other form of inflammatory neural disease (like transverse myelitis / etc) can be a cause of it.
I would suggest you to go for MRI Lumbo-Sacral spine as already brain MRI is done.
Hence the need for the LS spine MRI is must as if any sacral nerve problem is present, it would be surely be identifies in that MRI (X-Ray can't really identify the nerve involvement).
Feel free to discuss further after the MRI.
Regards.