Abstract
Cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections (CTFESI) have been used to treat cervical radicular pain with the rationale of suppressing spinal nerve root inflammation. However, potential serious procedure-related complications demand several protective measures, such as careful placement of a needle tip at the posterior wall of the neural foramen; real-time fluoroscopic surveillance of contrast flow, preferably with digital subtraction; and a local anesthetic test just before injection of the steroid [1,2]. The purpose of a local nesthetic test is to detect any temporary and reversible neurologic signs of intravascular nstillation of a short-duration local anesthetic agent so that subsequent steroid injection hat may potentially result in permanent neurologic complications can be withheld [1,3]. ince the test dose was advocated, only 2 reports [1,2] have described the value of the test y presenting cases of temporary neurologic deficits. More cases or research is needed to etermine whether and how the test should be done [1]. The present case report discusses onvulsion caused by a local anesthetic test because of inadvertent vertebral artery injection.
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