Paraspinal Fluid Extravasation from Long-term Epidural Catheter Delivery System

Long-term use of epidural and intrathecal catheters in cancer and nonmalignant pain has increased substantially over the past 20 yr. Although they provide effective analgesia for many patients, these catheter delivery systems also have produced many complications. Infections and fibrosis have been reported most commonly and with great variation, dependent to a great degree on the catheter system chosen. We present a case involving the long-term use of an epidural catheter for a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Infection, fibrosis, and an unusual paraspinal fluid extravasation from the epidural space are described and discussed.