Infiltrations épidurales et foraminales lombaires : mise au point

A fluoroscopy-guided lumbar spine injection procedure may be complicated by immediate paralysis. Twelve cases (five recent and seven published) that occurred between 2002 and 2008 were reviewed (history of lumbar surgery, route of injection, image-guidance, injection of contrast, type of steroid, level of paraplegia, MR imaging features). MRI showed cord ischemia from arterial origin. The high number of patients with prior lumbar spine surgery suggests that the presence of scar tissue could increase the risk of paraplegia. A transforaminal approach was used in all patients without history of lumbar surgery while transforaminal, interlaminar and juxta-zygapophyseal approaches were used in patients with prior lumbar surgery. The high number of cases in France could be explained by the exclusive use of prednisolone acetate which has a higher rate of macro-aggregate formation that could lead to embolization in medullary arteries.