BACKGROUND Measurements of the subarachnoid space during routine cranial sonography may provide an indirect method of monitoring brain growth in preterm infants. METHODS The width of the subarachnoid space was measured on coronal views during head sonography. Initial scans (within five days of birth) were compared with follow up scans. RESULTS A total of 361 scans were performed on 201 pret...

Blood is a potent irritant to nervous tissue and alone can cause arachnoiditis. In combination with chemical substances, the risk is magnified. This was first noted in relation to oil-based myelographic dyes by Howland and Curry ( [1] ) who found that in dogs, blood and dye together caused severe adverse effects. Hence dural puncture during epidural administration of drugs should be treated ser...

Horner’s syndrome is a triad of miosis, ptosis and enophthalmos commonly associated with vasodilatation (facial flashing), anhydrosis and nasal stuffiness. Horner’s syndrome has been reported following several regional anaesthetic techniques, including brachial plexus block and thoracic and lumbar epidural anesthesia. Several cases have been reported in obstetric patients using bupivacaine and ...

BACKGROUND Gadolinium-induced encephalopathy is a well documented complication due to the inadvertent entrance of a high dose of gadolinium into the intrathecal compartment. In lab animals, injecting gadolinium into the intrathecal compartment resulted in neurotoxicity and seizures. It is also well recognized that the presence of autologous blood in the intrathecal compartment can cause a broad...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We sought to investigate the mechanisms for oxidative injury caused by subarachnoid hemolysate, a pro-oxidant. METHODS Injection of 50 microL of subarachnoid hemolysate or saline was performed in CD1 mice (n=75), mutant mice deficient in Mn-superoxide dismutase (Sod2+/-; n=23), and their wild-type littermates (n=23). Subcellular location of cytochrome c was studied by i...

mean total dose of 0.5 per cent bupivacaine injected epiduraUy was 8.1 +0.26 ml (range 5-10 ml). The subarachnoid block usually extended from $5 to T7 dermatomes. The usual upper level of the CSE block after injection of local anaesthetic via the epidural catheter was T4. In six patients (25 per cent) the subarachnoid block reached the T4-5 level and further extension of block by epidural injec...

The influence of papaverine on the intracranial system of the dog was studied by measuring the pressure-depth-time response for the intact intracranial system, i.e., for the subarachnoid and subpial compartments. This was accomplished by a measurement system which provided an accurate pressure-depth determination and a uniform rate of transducer insertion. Distinct regions of the intracranial s...

The subarachnoid space around the optic nerve can be detected by fat-saturated T2-weighted MR imaging of the orbit, and dilation of this space reflects increased intracranial pressure. We examined 3 patients with CSF hypovolemia with MR imaging of the orbit and measured the optic nerve sheath diameter before and after treatment. We showed that the subarachnoid space is decreased in patients wit...

Inadvertent subarachnoid injection of a local anesthetic during the conduct of epidural anesthesia may have a devastating effect on the patient. The incidence of dural puncture with an epidural catheter has been reported to range from 0.5% to 0.9%. This case report demonstrates that, despite negative aspiration of cerebral spinal fluid from the catheter, subarachoid injection of a local anesthe...

In the rat an intracisternal injection of blood induces an angiographically demonstrable biphasic cerebral arterial vasospasm. Chemical destruction of the central serotoninergic and dopaminergic pathways prior to the cisternal blood injection does not affect the spasm pattern after the subarachnoid haemorrhage. It is suggested that neither system plays a role in the development of spasm.