J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  2010 Dec;48(6):544-546. 10.3340/jkns.2010.48.6.544.

Neurologic Complication Following Spinal Epidural Anesthesia in a Patient with Spinal Intradural Extramedullary Tumor

• Kim SH
• Song GS
• Son DW
• Lee SW

• KMID: 2018405
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3340/jkns.2010.48.6.544

Abstract

Paraplegia following spinal epidural anesthesia is extremely rare. Various lesions for neurologic complications have been documented in the literature. We report a 66-year-old female who developed paraplegia after left knee surgery for osteoarthritis under spinal epidural anesthesia. In the recovery room, paraplegia and numbness below T4 vertebra was checked. A magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan showed a spinal thoracic intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumor. After extirpation of the tumor, the motor weakness improved to the grade of 3/5. If a neurologic deficit following spinal epidural anesthesia does not resolve, a MRI should be performed without delay to accurately diagnose the cause of the deficit and optimal treatment should be rendered for the causative lesion.

Keyword

Spinal epidural anesthesia; Spinal intradural extramedullary tumor

MeSH Terms

Aged
Anesthesia, Epidural
Female
Humans
Hypesthesia
Knee
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Neurologic Manifestations
Osteoarthritis
Paraplegia
Recovery Room
Spine