Epiduroscopy for Intractable Low Back Pain

Abstract

  Epiduroscopy / spinal canal endoscopy is a new, minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic modality. In this paper, we first describe the effectiveness of epiduroscopy for low back and leg pain. Epiduroscopy reduced low back and leg pain in patients with lumbar disk herniation, degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis, and failed back surgery syndrome, particularly those with radiculopathy. We then presented two patients, suffering from cauda equina tumor or epidural abscess, who received orthopedic surgery combined with the use of epiduroscopy. In these two patients, the use of epiduroscopy allowed a less invasive operative procedure by the single-level or two-level laminectomy. Epiduroscopy may be useful not only for low back pain and leg pain, but also for strategic treatment of cauda equina tumors and epidural abscess.