Intravascular flow patterns in transforaminal epidural injections: a comparative study of the cervical and lumbar vertebral segments.
BACKGROUND
Transforaminal epidural injection (TEI) is commonly used in the treatment of radicular pain. However, there have been many published cases of serious complications after a TEI, occurring most often in cervical levels. One of the presumptive reasons for this complication is inadvertent intravascular injection. We sought to identify the incidence of intravascular injections in cervical and lumbar spinal segments during TEI.


METHODS
All patients with radicular symptoms or herpes zoster-associated pain underwent cervical and lumbar TEIs (LTEIs) prospectively by one of the authors. After an ideal needle position was confirmed by biplanar fluoroscopy, 3 mL of a mixture containing nonionic contrast and normal saline was continuously injected at the rate of 0.3-0.5 mL/s with real-time fluoroscopic visualization.


RESULTS
One hundred eighty-two TEIs were performed. Fifty-six cases (30.8%) showed intravascular spreading patterns, 45 cases occurring during a cervical TEI (CTEI) and 11 during a LTEI. The incidences of simultaneous perineural and vascular injection in cervical and LTEIs were 52.1% and 9%, respectively, and pure vascular flow pattern rates in cervical and LTEIs were 11.3% and 0.9%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of vascular injection in CTEIs is significantly higher than in LTEIs, suggesting that CTEIs should be performed more cautiously. Furthermore, the vascular injection rate of CTEIs is much higher than that previously reported. This finding suggests the need for a proper volume of contrast injection (3 mL) to detect vascular flow, especially in simultaneous perineural and vascular injections.
Kim
Do Wan
DW
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Pain Clinic, College of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, Korea.
Han
Kyung Ream
KR
Kim
Chan
C
Chae
Yun Jeong
YJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007268:Injections, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography