Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0338671 (Steroids)
 9,479 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Steroids, drugs with potent antiinflammatory properties on the damaged nervous roots, have been especially used as adjuvants of local anesthetics, by spinal route, in the treatments of low-back pain. Spinal route was chosen to obtain a higher local concentration of drug, with few systemic side effects and to improve drug's action mechanism. Steroids seem to interact with GABA receptors and thus control neural excitability through a stabilising effect on membranes, modification of nervous conduction and membrane hyperpolarization, in supraspinal and spinal site. Epidural steroids are especially used in the treatment of low back pain due to irritation of nervous roots. They have been administered alone or in association with local anesthetics and/or saline solution. Slow release formulations have been generally used (methylprednisolone acetate, and triamcinolone diacetate). Other indications of epidural steroids are: postoperative hemilaminectomy pain, prevention of post herpetic neuralgia, degenerative ostheoartrithis. Intra-thecal steroids have been frequently used in the treatment of lumbar radiculopathy due to discopathy, as an alternative treatment when epidural administration is ineffective. Positive results have been obtained with methylprednisolone acetate, alone or in association with local anesthetics. Complications related to intraspinal steroids injections are due to execution of the block and side effects of drugs. Complications associated with intrathecal steroids are more frequent and severe than epidural injections and include: adhesive arachnoiditis, aseptic meningitis, cauda equina syndrome. Steroidal toxicity seems to be related to the polyethylenic glycole vehicle. Anyway, slow release formulations contain less concentrated polyethylenic glycole. The epidural administration, a correct dilution of steroid with local anesthetics solution and/or saline solution, and a limited number of injections (no more than three) allows a significant reduction of steroid neurotoxicity.
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PMID:[Clinical use of spinal or epidural steroids]. 1224 93

Steroids are one of the most commonly prescribed medications for a variety of medical conditions, often long term. Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) is a state of pathological fatty tissue overgrowth in the vertebral canal. It is a rare and dangerous complication of chronic steroid therapy that may lead to back pain, radiculopathy, or paraparesis. We describe a patient that was taking long term steroids and presented with progressively worsening weakness of the lower extremities. On the MRI scan, a long segment of unusual accumulation of fatty deposits in the posterior aspect of the spinal canal resulting in canal stenosis extending from C7 to the T10 level was observed. Despite an appropriate diagnosis and surgical intervention, his weakness did not resolve. We discuss the implications of this case in the primary care practice.
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PMID:Steroid induced spinal epidural lipomatosis--case report and review of the literature. 2190 1