Document Type

Article

Publication Date

March 2008

Comments

This article has been peer reviewed. It was published in: Open Surgery Journal Volume 2, 2008, Pages 18-20. The published version is available at . DOI: 10.2174/1874300500802010018. Copyright © Bentham Science Publishers Ltd..

Abstract

Summary of Background Data: Five cases of hemorrhage into a spinal neoplasm after spinal or epidural anesthesia are reported in the literature. Presentation ranges from severe low back pain to acute cauda equina syndrome.

Methods: A case study of a patient who hemorrhaged into an intradural, extramedullary spinal cord mass was performed. A detailed literature review is also provided.

Results: A 27 year old female underwent epidural anesthesia for Cesarean section delivery. She presented with a 3 week history of increasing low back pain with bilateral radiculopathy. Imaging studies revealed a large hemorrhagic intradural mass compressing the lower conus medullaris and cauda equina, which operatively was confirmed to be a myxopapillary ependymoma.

Conclusions: We report a case of hemorrhage into a previously unrecognized ependymoma after epidural anesthesia. Underlying tumors may rarely complicate regional anesthesia in the lumbar spine.

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