Postblock epidural hematoma causing paraplegia. Case report.
OBJECTIVE
An elderly man with no obvious preexisting coagulation disorder had paraplegia following epidural block for transurethral prostatectomy that was later found to be due to a large epidural hematoma requiring surgical decompression of the spinal cord.


METHODS
There was a delay in starting treatment since the cause was not initially suspected.


RESULTS
The patient did not improve much after the operation.


CONCLUSIONS
The anesthesiologist should be alert to the possibility of epidural hematoma forming in otherwise normal patients to avoid such unfavorable outcomes.
Ganjoo
P
P
Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.
Singh
A K
AK
Mishra
V K
VK
Singh
P K
PK
Bannerjee
D
D
D000368:Aged; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006407:Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology*; D011468:Prostatectomy