What types of complication can occur at the tip of the catheter of an intrathecal drug delivery system placed a few years earlier?
Epidural abscess formation at the tip of a catheter placed several years earlier is extremely rare. Should such an infection occur, consideration should be given to the possibility that it is coincidental, unrelated to placement of the catheter. The patient should be carefully evaluated for the primary source of the infection. A granuloma or inflammatory mass may form at the catheter tip (see note below). The formation of a granuloma or inflammatory mass is more likely than epidural abscess to occur after several years, and should be suspected in any individual with an implanted drug delivery system who has the onset of symptoms and signs of spinal cord or cauda equina compression. However, granuloma or inflammatory mass formation may occur at any time, as the aetiology for their formation has not been established. Note: In rare instances, the development of an inflammatory mass at the tip of the implanted catheter may occur. This can result in progressive clinical signs that bear moni
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