Paraplegia following lumbosacral steroid epidural injections

Kader Tawfiq AbdeleRahman; Goran Rakocevic

doi:10.1016/j.jclinane.2014.03.010

Paraplegia following lumbosacral steroid epidural injections

J Clin Anesth. 2014 Sep;26(6):497-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2014.03.010. Epub 2014 Sep 4.

Authors

Kader Tawfiq AbdeleRahman¹, Goran Rakocevic²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 900 Walnut St., Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 900 Walnut St., Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.

PMID: 25200706
DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2014.03.010

Abstract

Spinal cord ischemia is a rare but possible neurological complication following routine conservative treatment of lumbosacral radiculopathy. A case of a 46 year old woman with chronic L5 radiculopathy, who developed spinal cord ischemia following epidural steroid injection, is reported. Two months after the epidural injection, she required crutches for walking and had neurogenic bladder and bowel.

Keywords: Artery of Adamkiewicz; Epidural injections; Paraplegia; Radiculopathy; Spinal cord ischemia.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Female
Glucocorticoids / administration & dosage*
Humans
Injections, Epidural / adverse effects*
Lumbosacral Region
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Paraplegia / etiology*
Radiculopathy / drug therapy
Spinal Cord Ischemia / diagnosis
Spinal Cord Ischemia / etiology

Substances

Glucocorticoids