Paraplegia associated with combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia caused by preoperatively unrecognized spinal vertebral metastasis.

We describe a case of paraplegia following combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia. It was postoperatively determined that a tumour of the vertebrae which was compressing the spinal cord was responsible for this complication. We suggest that the pre-existing pathology of the spine must be borne in mind as a differential diagnosis of acute postoperative paraplegia.