Pneumocephalus after lumbar epidural steroid injection: a case report and review of the literature.

Pneumocephalus may occur after inadvertent injection of air into the subarachnoid space while performing epidural anesthesia using a loss-of-resistance technique with air in the syringe. We report a case of pneumocephalus after an interlaminar epidural steroid injection using the loss-of-resistance to air technique. In this report, we examine the etiology, the expected course of symptoms, and resolution, as well as treatment, of pneumocephalus following a systematic literature review.

Obstructed catheter connection pin discovered during intrathecal baclofen pump exchange.

We report a case of catheter obstruction due to complete narrowing of the lumen of a connecting pin, and catheter disconnection in a patient undergoing intrathecal Baclofen pump exchange. The patient underwent intrathecal baclofen pump implantation for treatment of lower extremity spasticity and hypertonia secondary to congenital tetraplegia. Intrathecal baclofen dose escalation occurred over the course of treatment (73 mo) from 80 to 708 mcg/d representing a 189% increase in dose. The pump had neared the manufacturer's recommended exchange interval; therefore, a pump exchange was scheduled to surgically replace the device. One week before surgery, the patient noted a distinct increase in his symptomatology and began enteral baclofen therapy. During the surgery, the pump catheter was noted to be disconnected from the pump. Upon further examination, the lumen of the connection pin positioned between the pump catheter and intrathecal catheter was completely obstructed. Postsurgically, the patient's intrathecal baclofen dose was substantially reduced from 708 to 527 mcg/d (25.6% reduction) to control hypotonicity and to reestablish an Ashworth score of 2. We discuss intrathecal baclofen therapy and a unique complication associated with a catheter connecting pin.

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a review of anatomy, diagnosis and treatment.

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is a term used to describe chronic pain overlying the lateral aspect of the hip. This regional pain syndrome, once described as trochanteric bursitis, often mimics pain generated from other sources, including, but not limited to myofascial pain, degenerative joint disease, and spinal pathology. The incidence of greater trochanteric pain is reported to be approximately 1.8 patients per 1000 per year with the prevalence being higher in women, and patients with coexisting low back pain, osteoarthritis, iliotibial band tenderness, and obesity. Symptoms of GTPS consist of persistent pain in the lateral hip radiating along the lateral aspect of the thigh to the knee and occasionally below the knee and/or buttock. Physical examination reveals point tenderness in the posterolateral area of the greater trochanter. Most cases of GTPS are self-limited with conservative measures, such as physical therapy, weight loss, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and behavior modification, providing resolution of symptoms. Other treatment modalities include bursa or lateral hip injections performed with corticosteroid and local anesthetic. More invasive surgical interventions have anecdotally been reported to provide pain relief when conservative treatment modalities fail.

A prospective, observational study of the relationship between body mass index and depth of the epidural space during lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injection.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have concluded that transforaminal epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are more effective than interlaminar injections in the treatment of radiculopathies due to lumbar intervertebral disk herniation. There are no published studies examining the depth of epidural space using a transforaminal approach. We investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the depth of the epidural space during lumbar transforaminal ESIs. METHODS: Eighty-six consecutive patients undergoing lumbar transforaminal ESI at the L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 levels were studied. Using standard protocol, the foraminal epidural space was attained using fluoroscopic guidance. The measured distance from needle tip to skin was recorded (depth to foraminal epidural space). The differences in the needle depth and BMI were analyzed using regression analysis. RESULTS: Needle depth was positively associated with BMI (regression coefficient [RC], 1.13; P < 0.001). The median depths (in centimeters) to the epidural space were 6.3, 7.5, 8.4, 10.0, 10.4, and 12.2 for underweight, normal, preobese, obese I, obese II, and obese III classifications, respectively. Sex (RC, 1.3; P = 0.02) and race (RC, 0.8; P = 0.04) were also significantly associated with needle depth; however, neither factor remained significant when BMI was accounted as a covariate in the regression model. Age, intervertebral level treated, and oblique angle had no predictive value on foraminal depth (P > 0.2). CONCLUSION: There is a positive association between BMI and transforaminal epidural depth, but not with age, sex, race, oblique angle, or intervertebral level.