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Spinal Arachnoiditis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Stephen I. Esses  and
T.P. Morley
Stephen I. Esses
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto General Hospital and the Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
T.P. Morley*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto General Hospital and the Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
*
Room 222, 7th Floor, Eaton Wing, Toronto General Hospital, 101 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7.
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A review of the literature points to the many causes of arachnoiditis and the failure of treatment to arrest or reverse its effects. The true incidence cannot be determined, although it is probably lower than might at first appear from the published articles. In the radiological literature the diagnosis seems to derive from an examination of the films alone, often without reference to the clinical findings or appearance at operation. While attempts at treatment are usually unsuccessful, some iatrogenic cases can be prevented by the avoidance of intrathecal steroid injections or unduly rough or repeated surgical exploration of the lumbar vertebral canal.

Type
Review Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , February 1983 , pp. 2 - 10
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1983

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