Arachnoiditis Extending Beyond Operative Site

Lumbar epidural fibrosis may occur after a lumbar discectomy, replacing normal epidural fat with non-physiologic scar tissue, binding the dura and nerve roots to the surrounding structures, and causing arachnoiditis. Lumbar arachnoiditis occurs in 6%-16% of postoperative surgeries in the lumbar region, usually at the site of the laminectomy into the spinal canal. This case report covers a 35-year-old male patient who underwent a discectomy with resulting arachnoiditis multiple levels cranial of the site of laminectomy. We illustrate the first reported case of diffuse arachnoiditis causing residual pain after a lumbar discectomy.