Korean J Pain.  2009 Apr;22(1):83-87. 10.3344/kjp.2009.22.1.83.

Accidental Subdural Injection during Attempted Cervical Epidural Block: Radiologic Evidence : A case report

• Ko HH
• Kim JS
• Lee JJ
• Hwang SM
• Lim SY

• KMID: 1767823
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2009.22.1.83

Abstract

Case reports after accidental subdural injection during attempted epidural block have usually described extensive neuraxial blocks with a characteristic radiographic appearance on contrast injection. We experienced a case of cervical subdural injection with unusual clinical findings and radiographic appearance. A 51-year-old female patient with central herniated nucleus pulposus at cervical (C5/6) and lumbar level (L4/5, L5/S1) was referred to the pain clinic. During attempted cervical epidural block at the C6/7 interspace with fluoroscopy, injection of the 4 ml contrast showed posterior spread at cervical level. After cervical epidural steroid injection, the contrast was also confined to the posterior aspect of the spinal canal at lumbar level with fluoroscopy. In order to discriminate subdural space from epidural space, we performed transforaminal epidural injection of the 2 ml contrast at the L5/S1 interspace and we could confirm cervical epidural injection was made into the subdural space. We discuss the clinical characteristics of a subdural injection and the appearance of the cervical and lumbar subdurogram.

Keyword

cervical epidural; subdural injection; subdurogram

MeSH Terms

Epidural Space
Female
Fluoroscopy
Humans
Injections, Epidural
Middle Aged
Pain Clinics
Spinal Canal
Subdural Space