SUMMARY

Epidural steroid injections are widely used for the treatment of lumbago and sciatica although their efficacy has not yet been demonstrated in a convincing way. Moreover, systemic complications, although rare, have been documented. The present case report illustrates that even a single low-dose epidural injection may induce Cushing's syndrome and even steroid myopathy. KEY WORDS: Steroid myopathy, Triamcinolone, Epidural infiltration. THE use of epidural injections of local anaesthetics with or without steroids in the management of back pain due to compressive radiculopathy is well known [1—6]. Although practised for many decades, the therapeutic efficacy of epidural steroid injections has not yet been demonstrated in a convincing way [3, 6, 7]. Moreover, serious complications, although rare, have been reported [8-11]. Systemic absorption of the steroid from the extradural space is well-documented, resulting in depression of plasma cortisol levels [8,9, 12]. Knigh