EXTRADURAL ABSCESS COMPLICATING LUMBAR EXTRADURAL ANESTHESIA AND ANALGESIA IN AN OBSTETRIC PATIENT

A 33-year-old nulliparous woman with severe pre-eclampsia was treated with extradural analgesia to control blood pressure and relieve pain d uring delivery. Nine hours after extradural catheter insertion a Caesa rean section was performed due to uterine inertia. The extradural cath eter was kept in place for 88 hours. Ten days following the extradural block she developed an extradural abscess and had to undergo a lamine ctomy. In a retrospective and, in part, prospective analysis on more t han 13,000 extradural blocks, we studied the incidence of this dreaded complication and reviewed the literature on clinical findings, diagno sis and treatment.