Chronic spinal arachnoiditis. A postoperative syndrome that may signal its onset.

Chronic lumbar radiculopathy following spinal surgery is reported, in which 7 of 25 patients reviewed developed a postoperative syndrome immediately after their original surgery. Later, sometimes years later, all 7 patients developed severe chronic spinal arachnoiditis. This syndrome was characterized by transient violent spasms in the legs, muscle cramps, increased radicular pain, and often fever and chills. The recognition of this syndrome and a proposed method of treatment is discussed.