title: A paraspinal abscess following spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section and patient-controlled epidural analgesia for postoperative pain.
abstract: We present a rare case in which a healthy parturient developed a paraspinal abscess after spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section and epidural analgesia for postoperative pain management. The catheter was in situ for 58 h. Backache was the initial and major symptom. A concealed course with no neurological deficit resulted in a delayed diagnosis and treatment in this case. The infection was not diagnosed until 20 days after the removal of the epidural catheter when there was a purulent discharge from the epidural puncture site. Surgical drainage was required. Anaesthesiologists should be aware that serious epidural analgesia-related infections can happen in extra spinal-epidural spaces. Vigilance for these infections, especially in postpartum patients with backache, is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Tsou
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy