BACKGROUND Retrograde interlaminar ventral epidural injection (RIVEI) may hypothetically be more effective if the catheter is placed at the ventrocaudal aspect of the exiting nerve. We tested that hypothesis by measuring ventral and dorsal epidural contrast flow during RIVEI. METHODS To perform RIVEI, a 17 G Tuohy needle was inserted to access the epidural space. A 19 G epidural catheter was ...

Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine is the preferred diagnostic tool for pathologic conditions affecting the spine. However, in patients receiving epidural corticosteroid injection (ESI) for treatment of spinal diseases, there is a possibility of misreading of MR images because of air or fluid in the epidural space after the injection. Therefore, we defined the characterist...

BACKGROUND It may be clinically useful to predict the depth of the epidural space. METHODS To investigate the accuracy of preoperative abdominal computed tomography (CT) in prediction of the distance for low-thoracic epidural insertion, a single group observational study was conducted in 30 male patients undergoing elective major abdominal surgery requiring epidural analgesia for postoperativ...

Although cavernous hemangiomas occur frequently in the intracranial structures, they are rare in the spine. Most of spinal hemangiomas are vertebral origin and "pure" epidural hemangiomas not originating from the vertebral bone are very rare. Our spinal hemangioma case is extremely rare because of its "pure" epidural involvement and intralesional hemorrhage. A 64-year-old man presented with pro...

The technique of cervical epidural anaesthesia (CEA) was first described by Dogliotti in 1933 for upper thoracic procedures. Cervical epidural anaesthesia can be administered in surgeries of neck, upper arm and chest. It has gained popularity due to its safety, relative bloodless field, stable hemodynamic, minimal morbidity and early postoperative recovery. The technique has become popular as i...

Most epidural abscesses are a secondary lesion of pyogenic spondylodiscitis. An epidural abscess associated with pyogenic arthritis of the facet joint is quite rare. To the best of our knowledge, there is no report of the use of antibiotic-cement beads in the surgical treatment of an epidural abscess. This paper reports a 63-year-old male who sustained a 1-week history of radiating pain to both...

To compare the technical difficulty and safety of epidural catheterization between cranial and caudal lumbar region, thirteen dogs were randomly assigned to a cranial lumbar group (group CraL, n=6) or a caudal lumbar group (group CauL, n=6) depending on different epidural sites, and one dog was used as a negative control without catheterization. After general anesthesia, an epidural catheter wa...

PURPOSE To report the management of a patient who developed a lumbar epidural abscess when an epidural catheter was placed three years after a thoracic sympathectomy. The possible contribution of hyperhidrosis is discussed. CLINICAL FEATURES A 62-yr-old male had compensatory hyperhidrosis in his back after thoracic sympathectomy. The patient, who suffered from thromboangeitis obliterans, unde...

Current fashion in body art includes low back tattoos of varying designs and colors, a trend that presents unique concerns for anesthesia providers. Does the placement of epidural catheters risk the introduction of tattoo pigment dyes into the epidural space through the process of coring? Are there specific risks associated with tattoo dyes and epidural needle placement? We performed a comprehe...

BACKGROUND Cervical interlaminar epidural injections are performed frequently in managing chronic neck and upper extremity pain, although less commonly than lumbar interlaminar epidural injections. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration warnings and safeguards to prevent neurologic complications. These were developed by the Multi-Society Pain Workgroup have taken center stage for all typ...