The Dancer Who Had to Learn to Walk Again

Author: Yanithra Perera / Editor: Nick Tilbury / Codes: MuP2, SLO4, TP7 / Published: 29/10/2021

A 40-year-old female with no past medical history is brought into hospital with bilateral loss of sensation to her lower limbs.

She works as a professional dancer and was at a party the previous night. She consumed a large amount of alcohol and fell asleep whilst seated on the toilet. She woke up in the middle of the night, still seated on the toilet and unable to stand up. A cleaner found her early the next morning and called an ambulance.

Clinical examination in hospital reveals swollen, tense calves bilaterally. She also has a loss of sensation in both lower legs, most notable in the distribution of the common and superficial peroneal nerves. There is minimal pain on passive stretch of the calf muscles. Her feet feel cold and capillary refill is roughly 8 seconds in both feet. Dorsalis paedis is difficult to palpate on the right foot. She is also noted to have dark urine.