Nerve injury in an undiagnosed adult tethered cord syndrome patients following spinal anesthesia: A case report

Kim, Yu Yil; Song, Jae Wook; Lim, Jin Hun; Kim, Yong Seok; Kwon, Young Eun; Lee, Jun Hak

doi:2015.10.3.171

Anesth Pain Med > Volume 10(3); 2015 > Article

Case Report

Spinal Pain

Anesthesia and Pain Medicine 2015;10(3):171-174.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17085/apm.2015.10.3.171 Published online July 31, 2015.

Nerve injury in an undiagnosed adult tethered cord syndrome patients following spinal anesthesia: A case report

Yu Yil Kim, Jae Wook Song, Jin Hun Lim, Yong Seok Kim, Young Eun Kwon, Jun Hak Lee

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Presbyterian Medical Center, Jeonju, Korea. gangoaogi@naver.com

Received: 7 August 2014 • Revised: 1 December 2014 • Accepted: 27 January 2015

Abstract

Spinal anesthesia is a safe and widely used procedure. Spinal cord injury is a rare but serious complication from spinal anesthesia occurs, unexpectedly. Risks of direct neural injury from spinal anesthesia increase in tethered cord syndrome that the spinal cord is tethered by the inelastic structure and is, also, extended to the lower lumbar vertebra. A 52-years-old female patient undergoing anti-incontinence surgery developed neurologic symptoms following spinal anesthesia. The low-lying conus (L5 body level) and tethered cord were found during the assessment of neurological symptoms.

Key Words: Spinal anesthesia, Spinal cord injury, Tethered cord syndrome