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[Spinal myoclonus possibly caused by epidural anesthesia]
K Nakatani1, J Nakafusa, Y Katekawa
1Department of Anesthesiology, Okinawa Chubu Hospital.
Masui. the Japanese Journal of Anesthesiology
|December 10, 1999
Summary
A rare neurological complication, spinal myoclonus, possibly resulted from an epidural catheter in a patient undergoing gynecological surgery. Symptoms resolved after catheter removal, indicating a potential link between epidural anesthesia and spinal myoclonus.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Anesthesiology
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Epidural anesthesia is commonly used for surgical procedures.
- Neurological complications, though rare, can occur with epidural catheter use.
- Spinal myoclonus is an uncommon neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscle jerks.
Observation:
- A 24-year-old female developed spinal myoclonus approximately 4 hours after epidural drug administration.
- The patient underwent laparoscopy and intrauterine curettage under combined general and epidural anesthesia.
- The onset of symptoms occurred post-procedure, following the last epidural injection.
Findings:
- Spinal myoclonus resolved within 2 hours of epidural catheter removal.
- The temporal relationship suggests a possible causal link between the epidural catheter and the neurological complication.
- No residual neurological deficits were observed upon patient discharge.
Implications:
- This case highlights a potential, albeit rare, neurological adverse event associated with epidural catheterization.
- Further investigation may be warranted to understand the mechanisms underlying epidural catheter-induced spinal myoclonus.
- Anesthesiologists and surgeons should be aware of this potential complication and monitor patients accordingly.