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Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) is a rare pathologic growth of histologically normal nonencapsulated adipose tissue in the epidural space. It can cause myelopathy or radiculopathy. Etiologies include chronic exposure to endogenous or exogenous steroids and obesity. Idiopathic forms are much infrequent. We present a case of lumbar SEL compressing the thecal sac in a 50-year-old female patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In infants and small children, ultrasound (US) guidance provides ample anatomical information to perform neuraxial blocks. We can measure the distance from the skin to the epidural space in the US image and can refer to it during needle insertion. We may also visualize the needle or a catheter during real-time US-guided epidural catheterization. In cases where direct needle or catheter visualization is difficult, US allows predicting successful puncture and catheterization using surrogate markers, such as dura mater displacement, epidural space widening due to drug injection, or mass movement of the drug within the caudal space. Although many experienced anesthesiologists still prefer to use conventional techniques, prospective randomized controlled trials using US guidance are providing increasing evidence of its advantages. The use of US-guided regional block will gradually become widespread in infants and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic spinal pain is the most prevalent chronic disease, with chronic persistent spinal pain lasting longer than one-year reported in 25% to 60% of the patients. Health care expenditures have been escalating and the financial impact on the US economy is growing. Among multiple modalities of treatments available, facet joint interventions and epidural interventions are the most common ones, in addition to surgical interventions and numerous other conservative modalities of treatments. Despite these increasing costs in the diagnosis and management, disability continues to increase. Consequently, algorithmic approaches have been described as providing a disciplined approach to the use of spinal interventional techniques in managing spinal pain. This approach includes evaluative, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches, which avoids unnecessary care, as well as poorly documented practices.  Recently, techniques involving artificial intelligence and machine learning have been demonstrated to contribute to the improved understanding, diagnosis, and management of both acute and chronic disease in line with well-designed algorithmic approach. The use of artificial intelligence and machine-learning techniques for the diagnosis of spinal pain has not been widely investigated or adopted., Objectives: To evaluate whether it is possible to use artificial intelligence via machine learning algorithms to analyze specific data points and to predict the most likely diagnosis related to spinal pain., Study Design: This was a prospective, observational pilot study., Setting: A single pain management center in the United States., Methods: A total of 246 consecutive patients with spinal pain were enrolled. Patients were given an iPad to complete a Google form with 85 specific data points, including demographic information, type of pain, pain score, pain location, pain duration, and functional status scores. The data were then input into a decision tree machine learning software program that attempted to learn which data points were most likely to correspond to the practitioner-assigned diagnosis. These outcomes were then compared with the practitioner-assigned diagnosis in the chart., Results: The average age of the included patients was 57.4 years (range, 18-91 years). The majority of patients were women and the average pain history was approximately 2 years. The most common practitioner-assigned diagnoses included lumbar radiculopathy and lumbar facet disease/spondylosis. Comparison of the software-predicted diagnosis based on reported symptoms with practitioner-assigned diagnosis revealed that the software was accurate approximately 72% of the time., Limitations: Additional studies are needed to expand the data set, confirm the predictive ability of the data set, and determine whether it is broadly applicable across pain practices., Conclusions: Software-predicted diagnoses based on the data from patients with spinal pain had an accuracy rate of 72%, suggesting promise for augmented decision making using artificial intelligence in this setting.

Background: Chronic spinal pain is the most prevalent chronic disease with employment of multiple modes of interventional techniques including epidural interventions. Multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, systematic reviews, and guidelines have been published. The recent review of the utilization patterns and expenditures show that there has been a decline in utilization of epidural injections with decrease in inflation adjusted costs from 2009 to 2018. The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) published guidelines for interventional techniques in 2013, and guidelines for facet joint interventions in 2020. Consequently, these guidelines have been prepared to update previously existing guidelines., Objective: To provide evidence-based guidance in performing therapeutic epidural procedures, including caudal, interlaminar in lumbar, cervical, and thoracic spinal regions, transforaminal in lumbar spine, and percutaneous adhesiolysis in the lumbar spine., Methods: The methodology utilized included the development of objective and key questions with utilization of trustworthy standards. The literature pertaining to all aspects of epidural interventions was viewed with best evidence synthesis of available literature and  recommendations were provided., Results: In preparation of the guidelines, extensive literature review was performed. In addition to review of multiple manuscripts in reference to utilization, expenditures, anatomical and pathophysiological considerations, pharmacological and harmful effects of drugs and procedures, for evidence synthesis we have included 47 systematic reviews and 43 RCTs covering all epidural interventions to meet the objectives.The evidence recommendations are as follows: Disc herniation: Based on relevant, high-quality fluoroscopically guided epidural injections, with or without steroids, and results of previous systematic reviews, the evidence is Level I for caudal epidural injections, lumbar interlaminar epidural injections, lumbar transforaminal epidural injections, and cervical interlaminar epidural injections with strong recommendation for long-term effectiveness.The evidence for percutaneous adhesiolysis in managing disc herniation based on one high-quality, placebo-controlled RCT is Level II with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term improvement in patients nonresponsive to conservative management and fluoroscopically guided epidural injections. For thoracic disc herniation, based on one relevant, high-quality RCT of thoracic epidural with fluoroscopic guidance, with or without steroids, the evidence is Level II with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term effectiveness.Spinal stenosis: The evidence based on one high-quality RCT in each category the evidence is Level III to II for fluoroscopically guided caudal epidural injections with moderate to strong recommendation and Level II for fluoroscopically guided lumbar and cervical interlaminar epidural injections with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term effectiveness.The evidence for lumbar transforaminal epidural injections is Level IV to III with moderate recommendation with fluoroscopically guided lumbar transforaminal epidural injections for long-term improvement. The evidence for percutaneous adhesiolysis in lumbar stenosis based on relevant, moderate to high quality RCTs, observational studies, and systematic reviews is Level II with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term improvement after failure of conservative management and fluoroscopically guided epidural injections. Axial discogenic pain: The evidence for axial discogenic pain without facet joint pain or sacroiliac joint pain in the lumbar and cervical spine with fluoroscopically guided caudal, lumbar and cervical interlaminar epidural injections, based on one relevant high quality RCT in each category is Level II with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term improvement, with or without steroids. Post-surgery syndrome: The evidence for lumbar and cervical post-surgery syndrome based on one relevant, high-quality RCT with fluoroscopic guidance for caudal and cervical interlaminar epidural injections, with or without steroids, is Level II with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term improvement. For percutaneous adhesiolysis, based on multiple moderate to high-quality RCTs and systematic reviews, the evidence is Level I with strong recommendation for long-term improvement after failure of conservative management and fluoroscopically guided epidural injections., Limitations: The limitations of these guidelines include a continued paucity of high-quality studies for some techniques and various conditions including spinal stenosis, post-surgery syndrome, and discogenic pain., Conclusions: These epidural intervention guidelines including percutaneous adhesiolysis were prepared with a comprehensive review of the literature with methodologic quality assessment and determination of level of evidence with strength of recommendations.

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare disease with an unknown incidence rate. This paper will illustrate that early diagnosis and rehabilitation may result in improved outcomes for patients with neck or back pain presenting with neurological deficits. Three cases of SEA in individuals without the commonly acknowledged risk factors of intravenous drug abuse (IVDA), invasive procedures, or immunosuppression were seen at our institution during a 10-month period between October 1995 and July 1996. The patients presented with neck or thoracic back pain and progressive neurological deficits without a febrile illness. Predisposing factors were thought to be urinary tract infection with underlying untreated diabetes mellitus in the first case, a history of recurrent skin infection in the second, and alcoholism without a definite source of infection in the third. Leukocytosis, elevated sedimentation rate, and confirmatory findings reported on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) led to the diagnosis of SEA in all three cases. Immediate surgical drainage and decompression followed by proper antibiotic treatment and early aggressive rehabilitation led to good functional outcomes. All the individuals became independent in activities of daily living, wheelchair mobility, and bowel and bladder management. Two eventually became ambulatory.