A case of femoral neuropathy after radical ovariectomy

We experienced a 55-year-old female patient who was diagnosed as femoral neuropathy after radical ovariectomy. An epidural catheter was introduced at T11-12 interspace without any problems and general anesthesia was induced and maintained. The operation ended uneventfully. On the first postoperative day, she noticed hypesthesia of the inner surface of her left thigh and could not raise the left leg. The symptom remained after the removal of epidural catheter on the second postoperative day, and the influence of insertion of the epidural catheter on the symptom was suspected. We performed neurological examinations and found weakness of the left quadriceps femoris muscle, weakness of the left patellar reflex, and weakness of touch sensation and cold sensation and hypalgesia on the anterior surface of the left thigh and the inner surface of the left lower leg. Those findings led us to diagnose with femoral neuropathy probably due to abdominal retractors or the operation itself, and insertion of epidural anesthesia could not be the cause of neuropathy. Her symptom was ameliorated with a conservative therapy after four months. We should perform fine neurological examinations when neurological complications occur, especially when we use epidural catheters, and also should have the knowledge about those complications.