Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-Letters: Submit a response to the article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (4)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Rice, I.
Right arrow Articles by Thomson, K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Rice, I.
Right arrow Articles by Thomson, K.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2004, Vol. 92, No. 1 109-120
© 2004 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia

Review Article

Obstetric epidurals and chronic adhesive arachnoiditis

I. Rice*,1, M. Y. K. Wee2 and K. Thomson3

1 Shackelton Department of Anaesthesia, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Shirley, Southampton SO14 6YD, UK. 2 Department of Anaesthesia, Poole Hospital NHS Trust, Poole, UK. 3 Department of Anaesthesia, North Hampshire Hospital, UK

*Corresponding author. E-mail: isobelrice@yahoo.co.uk

It has been suggested that obstetric epidurals lead to chronic adhesive arachnoiditis (CAA). CAA is a nebulous disease entity with much confusion over its symptomatology. This review outlines the pathological, clinical, and radiological features of the disease. The proposed diagnostic criteria for CAA are: back pain that increases on exertion, with or without leg pain; neurological abnormality on examination; and characteristic MRI findings. Using these criteria, there is evidence to show that epidural or subarachnoid placement of some contrast media, preservatives and possibly vasoconstrictors, may lead to CAA. No evidence was found that the preservative-free, low concentration bupivacaine with opioid mixtures or plain bupivacaine currently used in labour lead to CAA.

Br J Anaesth 2004; 92: 109–20


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Anesth. Analg.Home page
C. Lentschener, B. Dousset, M. Zuber, and Y. Ozier
Central Sensory-Motor Deficit After Uneventful Single-Dose Spinal Morphine Administration in a Patient with Preexisting Migraine Headaches
Anesth. Analg., November 1, 2009; 109(5): 1688 - 1690.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
M. Scott, J. Stones, N. Payne, T. M. Cook, B. Fischer, D. Bogod, J. A. Wildsmith, D. Counsell, I. Christie, and M. Damien
Antiseptic solutions for central neuraxial blockade: which concentration of chlorhexidine in alcohol should we use?
Br. J. Anaesth., September 1, 2009; 103(3): 456 - 457.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
J. A. Aldrete, I. Rice, M. Y. K. Wee, and K. Thomson
Chronic adhesive arachnoiditis
Br. J. Anaesth., August 1, 2004; 93(2): 301 - 303.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
L. Talbot, C. Lewis, C. D. D. Hutter, I. Rice, and M. Y. K. Wee
Obstetric epidurals and chronic adhesive arachnoiditis
Br. J. Anaesth., June 1, 2004; 92(6): 902 - 903.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
A. P. Gulve, S. Eldabe, J. Richardson, I. Rice, and M. Y. K Wee
Obstetric epidural and chronic adhesive arachnoiditis
Br. J. Anaesth., May 1, 2004; 92(5): 765 - 767.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.