The results of surgical treatment of lumbar arachnoiditis.
Forty patients with lumbar arachnoiditis, following previous operations, were classified into 4 myelographic types. Most patients with type I images had herniated disc symptoms with unilateral leg pain and limited straight-leg raising. Patients with types II and III myelographic appearances had bilateral leg pain, absent ankle jerks, weakness, cramps and signs of diffuse sensory deficit; some also had neurogenic claudication and urinary sphincter dysfunction. All patients with type IV had dysesthesia. Twenty-three of the 40 patients underwent reoperation and those with types I and II had acceptable results, but poor results occurred in those with types III and IV myelograms.
Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital de Badalona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.
J
J
Roca
D
D
Moreta
M T
MT
Ubierna
E
E
Cáceres
J C
JC
Gómez
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001100:Arachnoiditis / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009192:Myelography; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation