You are seeing this message because your Web browser does not support basic Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing and what you can do to make your experience on this site better.


ABOUT ARCHIVES
Advanced Search

Welcome   | My Account | E-mail Alerts | Access Rights | Sign In


  Vol. 113 No. 3, March 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS
  Archives
  •  Online Features
  ARTICLE
 This Article
 • Reply to article
 •Send to a friend
 • Save in My Folder
 •Save to citation manager
 •Permissions
 Citing Articles
 •Citing articles on HighWire
 •Contact me when this article is cited
 Related Content
 •Similar articles in this journal

Retinal hemorrhage as a consequence of epidural steroid injection

F. H. Kushner and J. C. Olson
Halifax Eye Associates, Daytona Beach, Fla.

OBJECTIVE: To report that retinal hemorrhage is an important but uncommon complication of epidural steroid injection, a procedure frequently employed to alleviate chronic back pain. DESIGN: Patients who complained of visual field defects or blurred vision after receiving the injection received complete eye examinations, including fundus photography and fluorescein angiography. They were then followed up as their clinical situation dictated. SETTING: Patients were examined in an outpatient setting in our offices. PATIENTS: Between 1989 and 1992, five eyes of four female patients ranging in age from 35 to 81 years were evaluated and followed up. RESULTS: Examination and photographic documentation showed that these eyes had retinal hemorrhages, often distributed in a petaloid pattern, which resulted in transient loss of vision from 6 weeks to 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal hemorrhage is an uncommon but significant and previously unemphasized complication of epidural steroid injection for chronic back pain. This procedure should be carefully considered, particularly in one-eyed patients and those with bleeding problems, and patients should be fully informed that this can happen despite appropriate care and technique.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Terson's syndrome following epidural saline injection
Naseri et al.
Neurology 2001;57:364-364.
FULL TEXT  

Intraspinal steroids: history, efficacy, accidentality, and controversy with review of United States Food and Drug Administration reports
Nelson and Landau
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 2001;70:433-443.
FULL TEXT  

Acute Bilateral Visual Loss Associated With Retinal Hemorrhages Following Epiduroscopy
Amirikia et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2000;118:287-289.
FULL TEXT  





HOME | CURRENT ISSUE | PAST ISSUES | TOPIC COLLECTIONS | CME | SUBMIT | SUBSCRIBE | HELP
CONDITIONS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT US | SITE MAP
 
© 1995 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.