When radiology determines the success of removal of a retained epidural catheter: A case report

The epidural block is an anesthetic procedure that can have possible complications upon insertion or removal. Epidural catheter retention is a rare complication; its etiology may come from lateral migration with kinking of the catheter or from involvement with bone, ligamentous, muscular, vascular structures, or nerve roots. Up until today, there is not a standard approach to this complication; however, there are some recommendations for the management of retained epidural catheters. Here, we describe a case report of epidural catheter retention, in which we followed the published recommendations. Although computed tomography scanning may be the best option to visualize the anatomical position of the distal extremity of an epidural catheter, with this case report we intend to reinforce the fundamental contribution of the contrast radiograph in the successful catheter removal. Posteriorly, a protocol for clinical orientation of epidural catheter retention was developed in our institution.