Abstract

Occipital neuralgia is a paroxysmal jabbing pain in the distribution of the greater or lesser occipital nerves accompanied by diminished sensation in the affected area. Occipital nerve block is a common diagnostic and therapeutic tool used in the course of occipital neuralgia and is considered a safe treatment with few localized adverse events. Occipital nerve block is also indicated for cervicogenic and cluster headache and is often used as a rescue treatment for headaches not responding to conventional therapies. We describe a case of epidural abscess formation 16 days following occipital nerve block in a patient with no underlying medical conditions. This case report emphasizes the importance of strict aseptic technique to reduce infection rates in patients undergoing this procedure, despite the overall safety of occipital nerve block. Clinicians must remain aware of acute and late complications arising postprocedure for the safe practice of this technique.

Details

Title
Occipital osteomylelitis and epidural abscess after occipital nerve block: A case report
Author
Christie, Sean D 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kureshi, Nelofar 1 ; Beauprie, Ian 2 ; Holness, Renn O 3 

1  Division of Neurosurgery, Dalhousie University/QEII Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada 
2  Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University/QEII Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada 
3  Cornwall Regional Hospital, University of the West Indies, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica 
Pages
57-61
Publication year
2018
Publication date
Jan 2018
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Ltd.
e-ISSN
2474-0527
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/24740527.2017.1360725
ProQuest document ID
2277556595
Copyright
© 2018 Sean D. Christie, Nelofar Kureshi, Ian Beauprie, and Renn O. Holness. Published with license by Taylor & Francis. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.