Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for idiopathic postoperative lumbosacral plexopathy

Abstract

We report a patient who developed an acute lumbosacral plexopathy (LSP) following spinal surgery on lumbos segments. He recovered dramatically following treatment with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). A 66-year-old man who underwent an L4 to S1 decompressive laminectomy required re-admission after developing contralateral leg pain. Follow-up lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging showed only mild postoperative changes. Ten days after re-admission, he developed relatively rapid onset ipsilateral inguinal pain and weakness of all his leg muscles with diminished sensation in a lumbosacral plexus distribution. Re-exploration revealed no specific lesion except for adhesions and resulted in no improvement. Following treatment with IVIg (0.4 g/kg daily) for five days, he showed dramatic resolution of motor weakness and pain. There has been no relapse following six months follow-up. Although IVIg treatment does not guarantee a positive response in all types of LSP, it should be considered for severe, rapidly progressive and even for postoperative cases. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.