Venous intravasation of pantopaque during myelography. Report of two cases and a review of the literature.

Pantopaque venous intravasation, an uncommon complication of myelogram, has been reported since 1945. Traumatic spinal puncture has been known to be associated with Pantopaque venous intravasation, but its close relationship with the level of spinal puncture at the L5-S1 intervertebral disc space has not been emphasized. Spinal puncture at that level should be discouraged in order to prevent Pantopaque venous intravasation and pulmonary embolism during myelography.