Adhesive arachnoiditis is a condition in which inflammation of one of the three membranes (meninges) that surround the brain (the arachnoid mater) results in the formation of scar tissue that causes the neighboring tissues and membranes to stick together (adhere).
The brain is covered with a membrane called the pia mater. The arachnoid mater lies outside of the pia mater and is separated from it by a space filled with spinal fluid, the subarachnoid space. The dura mater is the third membrane and lies just outside of the arachnoid mater.
In adhesive arachnoiditis, scarring and adhesion occurs between the pia and arachnoid mater. The scar tissue compresses the nerves exiting the spinal cord usually in the lower back and most commonly results in pain. Compression and inflammation of the nerves also can result in dysfunction of pelvic organs such as the bladder and colon. Causes of the inflammation include infections, bleeding, injections within the spinal canal, and trauma such as surgery.
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