[Possibilities for preventing complications of epidurography]

The spinal epilepsy syndrome developed in 17 of 494 patients who were subjected to epidurography. Its cause was analysed in all cases. This syndrome develops evidently when a water-soluble iodine-containing contrast medium gains entry into the subarachnoid space or due to chance puncture of the dura mater during the manipulation or when the contrast medium flows through an opening in it which failed to close after a previous lumbar puncture. To prevent convulsions, epidurography should be conducted under careful control of the position of the needle in the epidural space and no earlier than 10 days after lumbar puncture. Because these rules were observed, none of the 216 epidurography procedures conducted since 1981 were complicated by spinal epilepsy.