Paraplegia From Treatment With Sclerosing Agents

A 53-year-old woman suffering from lower back pain was given injections of some unknown substance into both sacroiliac regions to correct relaxation of the ligaments. This was immediately followed by severe pain and temporary paralysis of her legs and bladder. A brief period of improvement was succeeded by complete spastic paraplegia. Laminectomy disclosed severe proliferative leptomeningitis. There was no lasting improvement. Complications resulting from the injection of sclerosing agents in the lower back in other reported cases bear out the conclusion that such use is inadvisable. That the treatment is of any value is not at all evident.