Transforaminal selective nerve root blocks are commonly performed for low back pain but are not without risk. This case report describes a 55-year-old man who underwent transforaminal selective nerve root block at the left lumbar (L) 4, L5, and sacral (S) 1 levels for radiating low back pain in the setting of moderate narrowing of the left L4-L5 foramen with impingement on the exiting left L4 nerve roots seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He developed left foot drop immediately after the procedure and presented to the acupuncture clinic two weeks later with persistent pain, left foot drop, and paresthesia of the left lateral shin. A repeat MRI of the lumbar spine showed mild enhancement of the left cauda equina, including the L5 and possibly L4 nerve roots. The large volume of injection into an area with neuroforaminal narrowing as well as the cytotoxicity of the contrast and anesthetic agents may have contributed to axon damage and left foot drop.
Keywords: compression; cytotoxicity; magnetic resonance imaging; nerve root block; radiculopathy.
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