Oxidised regenerated cellulose as a cause of paraplegia after thoracotomy: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Study design: Case report. Objective: To report an unusual case of paraplegia. Setting: University Hospital Bursa, Turkey. Case report: A 22-year-old woman presented with paraplegia following a left-sided thoracotomy. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a dorsal epidural mass at the level of T6. The patient underwent an emergency T6/7 laminectomy and removal of a tuft of oxidised regenerated cellulose, which had migrated through the intervertebral foramen causing spinal cord compression. Conclusion: In cases of neurological deficits after surgery at the posterolateral edge of a thoracotomy, the clinician should be aware of the above possibility. Urgent radiological diagnosis and decompressive laminectomy is the treatment of choice. © 2005 International Spinal Cord Society. All rights reserved.