Adhesive Arachnoiditis of the Lumbar Spine after Endoscopic Discectomy - A Case Report -

ABSTRACT

Objective@#We present a rare case of adhesive arachnoiditis that occurred after percutaneous endoscopic discectomy.Summary of Literature Review: Adhesive arachnoiditis can be caused by infection, trauma, surgery, and other iatrogenic injuries.Material and Methods: A 60-year-old man presented with acute onset of lower back pain, radiating to the right leg. His symptoms had developed 10 days previously without any trauma. He had a history of L4-5 percutaneous endoscopic discectomy 10 months ago. There was no evidence of infection in an examination of cerebrospinal fluid obtained from a spinal tap. However, magnetic resonance imaging showed peridural fibrosis, clumping of the nerve roots of the cauda equina with the pia mater, and dural enhancement at the L4-5 level. @*Results@#His symptoms disappeared after steroid pulse therapy. @*Conclusions@#Even minimally invasive surgery, such as endoscopic discectomy, can lead to adhesive arachnoiditis of the lumbar spine.