Epidural Air Associated With Multiradicular Syndrome

Epidural opioids injected through permanently implanted epidural catheters are used increasingly to control intractable pain. Not surprisingly, complications are also occurring with increasing frequency. The epidural space is relatively large at the lumbar level, but becomes markedly smaller cephalad. Therefore, injection of fluid into the thoracic epidural space could cause radicular compression. To the best of our knowledge, this side effect has not been reported previously. We report a case of acute radicular pain caused by initial injection of preservative-free morphine through an epidural catheter placed high in the thoracic spine.