Resumo

MARANHAO-FILHO, Pa.; MARTINS, M.A.O.  e  LOPES, H.F.. Horner's syndrome and brachial paresis as a complication of lumbar sympathetic block: a case report. Arq. Neuro-Psiquiatr. [online]. 1995, vol.53, n.4, pp. 831-833. ISSN 0004-282X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0004-282X1995000500022.

An unusual case of Homer's syndrome secondary to a sympathetic block in a patient with chronic adhesive arachnoiditis (CAA) is described. The patient, a 40-year-old white woman, presented with spastic paraplegia, hyperreflexia, bilateral Babinski sigh, superficial and deep sensitive hypoaesthesia at the T4 level, in addition to bladder and rectal dysfunction since she was 32. At age of 38 she complained of excessive daily sweating below the T4 level, mostly at night. A 4mL 0.5% bupivacaine lumbar sympathetic block was performed. Within 15 min aright brachial paresis and an ipsilateral Horner's syndrome were noted. Speculatively, an abnormal cephalic spread of the anaesthesic due to a putative erratic space secondary to the CAA may justify the clinical picture even using a relatively small amount of anaesthesic (4 mL).

Palavras-chave : lumbar sympathetic block; chronic adhesive arachnoiditis; Horner's syndrome.