MR imaging of the lumbar spine following epidural anaesthesia and epidural blood patch injections

Object Magnetic resonance imaging may show a fluid collection in the spinal epidural space of patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension syndrome (SIHS), but the chronological changes remain unclear. Methods Brain and spine MR imaging findings were analyzed in 16 patients (9 women and 7 men, mean age 48.6 years) with SIHS before and after treatment. Results Diffuse dural enhancement was seen in 15 patients, and the epidural fluid collection in the spinal canal was clear in 15 and equivocal in 1. Symptoms disappeared after bed rest in 1 patient, and an epidural blood patch was performed in 15 patients, resulting in complete resolution of symptoms in 13. After the follow-up period (range 1–20 months, mean 5.0 months), 1 patient had persistent mild headache that gradually worsened in the afternoon, and another patient complained of heaviness of the eyes. Follow-up MR imaging demonstrated disappearance of the dural enhancement in all patients, but a fluid collection in the spinal canal remained in 4. Two of the 4 patients had persistent symptoms, but the other patients exhibited complete resolution of the symptoms. Conclusions An epidural blood patch is effective for sealing of CSF leaks, but the resolution of SIHS-related symptoms does not always imply complete eradication of the leakage.

Download Full-text

Comparisons of clinical characteristics, brain MRI findings, and responses to epidural blood patch between spontaneous intracranial hypotension and post-dural puncture headache: retrospective study

BMC Neurology ◽

10.1186/s12883-021-02279-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Gha-Hyun Lee ◽

Jiyoung Kim ◽

Hyun-Woo Kim ◽

Jae Wook Cho

Keyword(s):

Intracranial Hypotension ◽

Dural Puncture ◽

Epidural Blood Patch ◽

Brain Mri ◽

Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension ◽

Vein Of Galen ◽

Mri Findings ◽

Post Dural Puncture Headache ◽

Straight Sinus ◽

Blood Patch

Abstract Background Spontaneous intracranial hypotension and post-dural puncture headache are both caused by a loss of cerebrospinal fluid but present with different pathogeneses. We compared these two conditions concerning their clinical characteristics, brain imaging findings, and responses to epidural blood patch treatment. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with intracranial hypotension admitted to the Neurology ward of the Pusan National University Hospital between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2019, and collected information regarding age, sex, disease duration, hospital course, headache intensity, time to the appearance of a headache after sitting, associated phenomena (nausea, vomiting, auditory symptoms, dizziness), number of epidural blood patch treatments, and prognosis. The brain MRI signs of intracranial hypotension were recorded, including three qualitative signs (diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement, venous distention of the lateral sinus, subdural fluid collection), and six quantitative signs (pituitary height, suprasellar cistern, prepontine cistern, mamillopontine distance, the midbrain-pons angle, and the angle between the vein of Galen and the straight sinus). Results A total of 105 patients (61 spontaneous intracranial hypotension patients and 44 post-dural puncture headache patients) who met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. More patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension required epidural blood patch treatment than those with post-dural puncture headache (70.5% (43/61) vs. 45.5% (20/44); p = 0.01) and the spontaneous intracranial hypotension group included a higher proportion of patients who underwent epidural blood patch treatment more than once (37.7% (23/61) vs. 13.6% (6/44); p = 0.007). Brain MRI showed signs of intracranial hypotension in both groups, although the angle between the vein of Galen and the straight sinus was greater in the post-dural puncture headache group (median [95% Confidence Interval]: 85° [68°-79°] vs. 74° [76°-96°], p = 0.02). Conclusions Patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension received more epidural blood patch treatments and more often needed multiple epidural blood patch treatments. Although both groups showed similar brain MRI findings, the angle between the vein of Galen and the straight sinus differed significantly between the groups.

Download Full-text

Gravity determines the direction of nerve roots sedimentation in the lumbar spinal canal

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12891-021-04032-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jun Yang ◽

Zhiyun Feng ◽

Nian Chen ◽

Zhenhua Hong ◽

Yongyu Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lumbar Spine ◽

Mr Imaging ◽

Spinal Canal ◽

Ventral Side ◽

Lateral Position ◽

Dorsal Side ◽

Mr Images ◽

Nerve Roots ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dural Sac

Abstract Objectives To investigate the role of gravity in the sedimentation of lumbar spine nerve roots using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of various body positions. Methods A total of 56 patients, who suffered from back pain and underwent conventional supine lumbar spine MR imaging, were selected from sanmen hospital database. All the patients were called back to our hospital to perform MR imaging in prone position or lateral position. Furthermore, the sedimentation sign (SedSign) was determined based on the suspension of the nerve roots in the dural sac on cross-sectional MR images, and 31 cases were rated as positive and another 25 cases were negative. Results The mean age of negative SedSign group was significantly younger than that of positive SedSign group (51.7 ± 8.7 vs 68.4 ± 10.5, P < 0.05). The constitutions of clinical diagnosis were significantly different between patients with a positive SedSign and those with a negative SedSign (P < 0.001). Overall, nerve roots of the vast majority of patients (48/56, 85.7%) subsided to the ventral side of the dural sac on the prone MR images, although that of 8 (14.3%) patients remain stay in the dorsal side of dural sac. Nerve roots of only one patient with negative SedSign did not settle to the ventral dural sac, while this phenomenon occurred in 7 patients in positive SedSign group (4% vs 22.6%, P < 0.001). In addition, the nerve roots of all the five patients subsided to the left side of dural sac on lateral position MR images. Conclusions The nerve roots sedimentation followed the direction of gravity. Positive SedSign may be a MR sign of lumbar pathology involved the spinal canal.

Download Full-text

MR IMAGING OF THE TRAUMATIZED LUMBAR SPINE

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Clinics of North America ◽

10.1016/s1064-9689(21)00577-8 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 589-602

Author(s):

Peter C. Young ◽

Cheryl A. Petersilge

Keyword(s):

Lumbar Spine ◽

Mr Imaging

Download Full-text

Incidence of postural headache after lumbar puncture requiring epidural blood patch: Effects of needle caliber; 2-year experience

The Neuroradiology Journal ◽

10.1177/19714009211000630 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 197140092110006

Author(s):

Warren Chang ◽

Ajla Kadribegic ◽

Kate Denham ◽

Matthew Kulzer ◽

Tyson Tragon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Lumbar Puncture ◽

Conservative Management ◽

Epidural Blood Patch ◽

Female Gender ◽

Regional Hospital ◽

Younger Age ◽

Blood Patch ◽

History Of ◽

The Difference

Purpose A common complication of lumbar puncture (LP) is postural headaches. Epidural blood patches are recommended if patients fail conservative management. Owing to a perceived increase in the number of post-lumbar puncture headaches (PLPHs) requiring epidural blood patches at a regional hospital in our network, the decision was made to switch from 20 to 22 gauge needles for routine diagnostic LPs. Materials and methods Patients presenting for LP and myelography at one network regional hospital were included in the study. The patients were contacted by nursing staff 3 days post-procedure; those patients who still had postural headaches after conservative management and received epidural blood patches were considered positive cases. In total, 292 patients were included; 134 underwent LP with 20-gauge needles (53 male, 81 female, average age 57.7) and 158 underwent LP with 22-gauge needles (79 male, 79 female, average age 54.6). Results Of 134 patients undergoing LP with 20-gauge needles, 15 (11%) had PLPH requiring epidural blood patch (11 female, 3 male, average age 38). Of 158 patients undergoing LP with 22-gauge needles, only 5 (3%) required epidural blood patches (all female, average age 43). The difference was statistically significant ( p < 0.01). Risk factors for PLPH included female gender, younger age, lower body mass index, history of prior PLPH and history of headaches. Conclusion Switching from 20-gauge to 22-gauge needles significantly decreased the incidence of PLPH requiring epidural blood patch. Narrower gauge or non-cutting needles should be considered in patients with risk factors for PLPH, allowing for CSF requirements.

Download Full-text