title: Catheterization via Caudal Puncture of the Epidural Space with a 5F Angiography Catheter and a Coaxial Steerable 0.038" Guidewire for Delivery of Drugs and Adhesiolysis.
abstract: We describe a technique for epidural medication delivery with angiographic catheters and guidewires inserted via caudal puncture and advanced cephalad under fluoroscopic guidance in the treatment of painful spinal diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  From November 2005 to September 2006 a total of 18 consecutive patients underwent adhesiolysis by an angiographic 5 French hockey-stick tip catheter and a coaxial 0.038" steerable guidewire inserted at the sacral hiatus and advanced cephalad under fluoroscopic guidance up to the site of adhesion. We obtained pain relief for more than three months in 61% of patients. There were no periprocedural/postprocedural complications. Our system of accessing the epidural space provides a safe means of delivering epidural medication, performing mechanical adhesiolysis and may be useful in the treatment of selected patients with painful spinal diseases.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Department, Misericordia Hospital; Grosseto, Italy - dangambacorta@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gambacorta
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lunghi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buontempo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cirinei
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zocchi
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Arrigucci
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gambacorta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Falco