Reactions 985 - 24 Jan 2004

Bupivacaine

Myoclonus: case reportA 56-year-old woman developed transient segmental spinal

myoclonus following spinal anaesthesia with bupivacaine.The woman received 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 3mL

through the L4–L5 interval on her left side prior to surgery forbilateral leg varices; she had also received midazolam. Twohours later she developed bilateral rhythmic myoclonicmovements in her lower extremities that initially occurred5–10 times/minute. The severity and frequency of themovements gradually increased to approximately30–40 times/minute and persisted for 30 minutes. Hermyoclonus resolved after a further 30 minutes. Subsequentspinal MRI, electromyography and somatosensory-evokedpotential examinations were normal. She remainedasymptomatic over the next year.

Author comment: "There was no history of anyinvoluntary movement in the past and no pathological findingwas detected on thoraco-lumbar MRI performed post surgery.We thus attributed the spinal myoclonus to the spinalanaesthesia."Celik Y, et al. Transient segmental spinal myoclonus due to spinal anaesthesia withbupivacaine. Journal of Postgraduate Medicine 49: 286, No. 3, Jul-Sep 2003 -Turkey 800966666

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Reactions 24 Jan 2004 No. 9850114-9954/10/0985-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved