Thoracic extradural haematoma after epidural anaesthesia

Neurol Sci. 2010 Feb;31(1):87-8. doi: 10.1007/s10072-009-0163-2. Epub 2009 Oct 6.

Abstract

The administration of analgesics to the thoracic spine is established practice in the operating room, minimizing the need for systemic anaesthetic administration during thoracic surgery. Complications arising from thoracic epidural anaesthesia are uncommon but potentially disastrous. Here, we report the case of a 43-year-old woman who developed a thoracic epidural haematoma with paraplegia a few hours after the removal of an epidural catheter. The patient underwent emergency thoracic laminectomy and clot evacuation. After a 4 months period, there was almost complete neurological recovery. Epidural haematoma is a rare complication that must be heeded and urgently treated in case of clinical deterioration after the epidural analgesia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anesthesia, Epidural / adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Hematoma / etiology*
  • Hematoma / pathology
  • Hematoma / surgery
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Paraplegia / etiology
  • Paraplegia / pathology
  • Paraplegia / surgery
  • Spinal Cord Diseases / etiology*
  • Spinal Cord Diseases / pathology
  • Spinal Cord Diseases / surgery
  • Thoracic Vertebrae
  • Treatment Outcome