Fatality After Injection of Sclerosing Agent to Precipitate Fibro-Osseous Proliferation

A 50-year-old woman with a long history of lumbar and sciatic pain had only temporary and incomplete relief after conventional treatment. An attempt was made by another physician to stabilize the joints concerned by injecting a sclerosing solution into the ligaments about the lumbosacral joint. There was immediate pain, paralysis, and incontinence. In the following months symptoms of basilar arachnoiditis and hydrocephalus appeared. The patient was referred to the authors for treatment. Ventriculostomy, decompressive craniotomy, and other measures for reducing intracranial pressure failed because of the extensive adhesions. The sites described for the injection of the sclerosing solution lie near several dangerous areas where a needle might enter the subarachnoid space. This technique for stabilizing intervertebral and paravertebral joints is extremely unsafe.