Korean J Anesthesiol.  2000 Oct;39(4):598-601. 10.4097/kjae.2000.39.4.598.

Severe Low Back Pain and Radiculopathy during Epiduroscopy

• Lee SC
• Seo KS
• Kang MS
• Lim YJ
• Han SH

• KMID: 2031623
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2000.39.4.598

Abstract

Epiduroscopy is a new method for managing chronic back pain. However there are potential complications such as hemorrhage, infection, neural damage, and increased pain due to increased epidural and intrathecal pressure. A 59-year-old male patient, suffering from lumbar radiculopathy after spine surgery was referred to the pain clinic. To ensure proper deposition of steroids and epidural lysis of adhesions, fibroptically directed epiduroscopy was planned. After positioning the epiduroscopy, 20 ml of normal saline was injected slowly. Immediately after injection, the patient complained of severe back pain and radiating pain to the lower extremities. When the pain was relieved, we restarted a saline injection. However, severe pain ocurred again and was sustained for more than an hour. There was no clinically significant findings on an emergency MRI. The symptoms improved slowly over a period of two hours.

Keyword

Complications: back pain; Equipment: epiduroscope

MeSH Terms

Back Pain
Emergencies
Hemorrhage
Humans
Low Back Pain*
Lower Extremity
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Pain Clinics
Radiculopathy*
Spine
Steroids
Steroids