• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.165-168
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• 1998

Although the incidence of epidural abscess is low, patient requiring continuous epidural analgesia for control of acute and chronic pain is increasing rapidly. Therefore we anticipate more frequent encounters with epidural abscess patients in future. Once epidural abscess formation begins, early diagnosis and treatment is very important to prevent permanent neurologic damage. The authors encountered a case of epidural abscess after continuous epidural analgesia for control of perineal pain due to rectal cancer. Forty-eight hours after the block, patient began to suffer severe low back pain, local tenderness, and fever. So the catheter was removed and culture sensitivity test was done with blood and local drainage. The test results identified methicillin susceptible staphylococcus aureus. Antibiotics were administered. Ten days after the block, left ankle jerk disappeared, and force of dorsiflexion of great toe decreased, but numbness or anesthesia appeared at $L_5$ dermatome. Laminectomy was performed, and abscess and necrotic fat material was removed from left $L_5$ nerve root. The patient was discharged 12 days after operation without any neurologic sequalae.