What condition is indicated by both severe lower back pain and radiating leg pain?

Prepare for the ScribeAmerica Emergency Room Exam. Enhance your skills with flashcards, multiple choice questions, hints, and explanations. Get ready for your certification!

The presence of severe lower back pain accompanied by radiating leg pain suggests involvement of the spinal structures, particularly the intervertebral discs or nerves. Degenerative Disc Disease is characterized by the degeneration of the intervertebral discs, which can lead to herniation or bulging that might impinge upon nearby nerve roots. This impingement can cause pain that radiates down the legs, often presenting as sciatica, which is a classic symptom.

In contrast, other conditions may cause leg pain but do not typically associate with lower back pain in the same manner. For instance, Peripheral Vascular Disease primarily results in leg pain due to insufficient blood flow during activity, while Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm may cause back pain and can radiate pain, but usually presents with a more distinct clinical picture, including possible pulse in the abdomen and acute symptoms if ruptured. Osteoarthritis mainly affects the joints and can cause back pain but is less likely to produce the specific pattern of referred leg pain seen in degenerative disc conditions.

Thus, the combination of severe lower back pain and radiating leg pain is most indicative of Degenerative Disc Disease, making it the appropriate choice for this scenario.

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