Two needles, one haystack: Lessons from spinal tuberculosis mimicking lumbar epidural complication in a post-partum patient

While both considered rare in contemporary Australian anaesthetic practice, the symptoms of epidural complication can mimic those of spinal tuberculosis, as we outline here in this unusual case. A 33-year-old woman presented to hospital with new neurological deficits days after receiving a lumbar epidural for labour analgesia. A complication of epidural was initially suspected; however, spinal tuberculosis was found be the cause. This case demonstrates many of the challenges and unique requirements involved in providing neuraxial anaesthesia to the obstetric cohort, namely: consenting linguistically diverse patients, providing advice on discharge, and the role of anaesthetics in expediting time-critical investigations.