• Andreas Wloch, H Holger Capelle, Assel Saryyeva, and Joachim K Krauss.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
• Stereotact Funct Neurosurg. 2013 Jan 1;91(4):265-9.

BackgroundSpinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an established treatment for neuropathic pain. Severe long-term complications are rare. Only recently secondary mass lesions associated with chronic stimulation were noted to occur.ObjectivesTo report the rare occurrence of cervical myelopathy secondary to an epidural cervical spinal mass after chronic cervical SCS.MethodsImplantation of a paddle electrode at C2-C4 for chronic neuropathic pain resulted in improvement of pain for several years but it lost its efficacy after 8 years. Myelography and postmyelographic CT detected an epidural mass surrounding the electrode and compressing the spinal cord when cervical myelopathy had developed 17 years after electrode implantation.ResultsThe mass which consisted of dense fibrous scar tissue was removed via hemilaminectomy. At postoperative follow-up at 8 months there was no further progression of gait disorder.ConclusionLong-term cervical SCS in a rare case may lead to fibrous epidural mass lesions which may not only cause loss of efficacy but which may also result in new neurological deficits.Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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