[Paraplegia following pneumonectomy. An anesthesiological or a surgical complication?]

A case of postoperative paraplegia after pneumonectomy of the left lung is presented. The patient received thoracic epidural anaesthesia for postoperative pain relief. The etiological role of epidural blockade in paraplegia is discussed. After consideration of differential diagnosis, postpneumonectomy paraplegia was diagnosed. The neurological sequelae were caused when the arterial blood supply to the spinal cord was compromised during surgery. However, to rule out epidural hematoma in such patients, a CAT scan of the spine must be performed immediately.