J Korean Pain Soc.  1996 Nov;9(2):344-348.

The Radiological Location of the Catheters in Cervical Epidural Space and the Space and the Spread of Radiopaque Dye

• Park YJ
• Song CW

Abstract

Continuous epidural blnck can be useful in the management of acute and chronic pain. For the most effective analgesia, it is important to localize the tip of epidural catheter and spread of the drugs. We investigated the course, location of the tip of epidural catheter and the spread of radiopaque dye. Epidural catheterization was performed in 12 patients on the sitting position. Catheters were advanced by 10 cm cephalad in the cervical epidural space by median approach and radiopaque dye 3 ml was injected through the catheters. The position of cervical epidural catheters and the spread of dye was confirmed by radiography. The course of epidural catheter were: coiled 3/12 (25%), loop 2/12 (16.7%), straight 2/12 (16.7%). In 8 cases, the tip of epidural catheters were located within one vertebral segment from the level of insertion site. Radiopaque dye spreaded average 3.68 vertebral segment to cranially and 1.67 vertebral segment to caudally from the insertion site.

Keyword

Anesthetic technique: epidural catheterization; cervical

MeSH Terms

Analgesia
Catheterization
Catheters*
Chronic Pain
Epidural Space*
Humans
Radiography