Chemical meningitis after cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection: a case report

We herein report a case of chemical meningitis that developed after cervical transforaminal steroid injection. A 49-year-old man presented with symptoms of meningitis (severe headache and neck stiffness) after cervical transforaminal steroid injection at the right C5–6 level. The injection solution was a mixture of lidocaine (0.3 mL), hyaluronidase (1 mL), placenta hydrolysate (2 mL), and normal saline (1 mL). The patient developed symptoms of meningitis 2.5 hours after the cervical epidural injection. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis was performed 1 day after the injection, and the results showed an elevated white blood cell count at 7106 cells/µL. The patient’s CSF analysis findings and symptoms did not differ from those of bacterial meningitis. However, considering that his symptoms developed 2.5 hours after the epidural injection, we believe that the patient developed chemical meningitis; therefore, he was symptomatically treated with an analgesic. Three days after the cervical transforaminal epidural injection, the patient experienced complete relief from the headache and neck stiffness. A Gram stain of the CSF revealed no organisms. Hence, the diagnosis of chemical meningitis was confirmed. Clinicians should be knowledgeable about the risk of this complication.