Korean J Anesthesiol.  2009 Jun;56(6):720-724. 10.4097/kjae.2009.56.6.720.

Injury to the spinal cord by a thoracic epidural catheter used to control postpneumonectomy pain : A case report

• Seo KC
• Kim JE
• Kim JH
• Song SY
• Chung JY
• Roh WS

• KMID: 2092210
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2009.56.6.720

Abstract

A thoracotomy is one of the most severe painful operations. This severe pain can usually be controlled by thoracic epidural analgesia. Epidural catheterization for analgesia has several complications, e.g., epidural hematoma, abscess, spinal stenosis, spinal infarction, direct cord trauma, and neurotoxicity by chemical contamination. These complications can cause acute paraplegia, but permanent paraplegia is extremely rare. We report a case of paresthesia and temporary paralysis in a 54-year-old patient who suffered spinal cord injury after thoracic epidural catheterization for the control of postpneumonectomy pain under general anaesthesia.

Keyword

Epidural analgesia; Spinal cord injury; Thoracotomy

MeSH Terms

Abscess
Analgesia
Analgesia, Epidural
Catheterization
Catheters
Hematoma
Humans
Infarction
Middle Aged
Paralysis
Paraplegia
Paresthesia
Spinal Cord
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal Stenosis
Thoracotomy