Newly developed urinary retention and motor weakness of lower extremities in a postherpetic neuralgia patient.
During the early stage of postherpetic neuralgia, an epidural block on the affected segment is helpful in controlling pain and preventing progression to a chronic state. The main neurologic complication following an epidural block is cord compression symptom due to an epidural hematoma. When neurologic complications arise from an epidural block for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia, it is important to determine whether the complications are due to the procedure or due to the herpes zoster itself. We report a case of a patient who was diagnosed with herpes zoster myelitis during treatment for postherpetic neuralgia. The patient complained of motor weakness in the lower extremities after receiving a thoracic epidural block six times. Although initially, we believed that the complications were due to the epidural block, it was ultimately determined to be from the herpes zoster myelitis.
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Mi Hyun
MH
Lee
Jang Ho
JH
Song
Doo Ik
DI
Lee
Hyun Soo
HS
Ahn
Ji Woong
JW
Park
Young Deog
YD
Cha
epidural; myelitis; neuralgia; postherpetic