scholarly journals Targeted Epidural Blood Patch Treatment for Refractory Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (03) ◽  
pp. 217-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei-Fang He ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Min-Jun Liu ◽  
Tai-Di Zhong ◽  
Qiao-Wei Zhang ◽  
...  

Objective An epidural blood patch (EBP) is the mainstay of treatment for refractory spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). We evaluated the treatment efficacy of targeted EBP in refractory SIH. Methods All patients underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast and heavily T2-weighted spine MRI. Whole spine computed tomography (CT) myelography with non-ionic contrast was performed in 46 patients, and whole spine MR myelography with intrathecal gadolinium was performed in 119 patients. Targeted EBPs were placed in the prone position one or two vertebral levels below the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks. Repeat EBPs were offered at 1-week intervals to patients with persistent symptoms, continued CSF leakage, or with multiple leakage sites. Results Brain MRIs showed pachymeningeal enhancement in 127 patients and subdural hematomas in 32 patients. One hundred fifty-two patients had CSF leakages on heavily T2-weighted spine MRIs. CSF leaks were also detected on CT and MR myelography in 43 and 111 patients, respectively. Good recovery was achieved in all patients after targeted EBP. No serious complications occurred in patients treated with targeted EBP during the 1 to 7 years of follow-up. Conclusions Targeted and repeat EBPs are rational choices for treatment of refractory SIH caused by CSF leakage.

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inês Correia ◽  
Inês Brás Marques ◽  
Rogério Ferreira ◽  
Miguel Cordeiro ◽  
Lívia Sousa

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is an important cause of new daily persistent headache. It is thought to be due to spontaneous spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, which probably have a multifactorial etiology. The classic manifestation of SIH is an orthostatic headache, but other neurological symptoms may be present. An epidural blood patch is thought to be the most effective treatment, but a blind infusion may be ineffective. We describe the case of a young man who developed an acute severe headache, with pain worsening when assuming an upright posture and relief gained with recumbency. No history of previous headache, recent cranial or cervical trauma, or invasive procedures was reported. Magnetic resonance imaging showed pachymeningeal enhancement and other features consistent with SIH and pointed towards a cervical CSF leak site. After failure of conservative treatment, a targeted computer tomography-guided EBP was performed, with complete recovery.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Hazama ◽  
Lori John ◽  
Alexander E Braley ◽  
Lawrence S Chin ◽  
Satish Krishnamurthy

Abstract INTRODUCTION Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension (SIH) remains a rare and difficult clinical entity to diagnose and treat. Epidural blood patch (EBP) is the mainstay definitive treatment for refractory cases and has mixed efficacy. We sought to evaluate recent efficacy and outcomes of EBP for SIH at our institution. We also sought to explore the viability of repeat blood patches for patients whose symptoms persisted or recurred. METHODS A total of 23 patients (14 women, 9 men, mean age 49) were seen and treated for SIH between Summer 2009 and Spring 2018. All patients underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with and without gadolinium contrast and T2-weighted spine MRI. Targeted EBPs were placed at 1-2 vertebral levels below identified or suspected areas of leak. Patients were seen within a week following initial EBP and repeat EBP was offered to patients with persistent symptoms. Patients were followed if symptoms persisted or for 6 mo following clinical relief of symptoms. RESULTS 22/23 (95.7%) patients presented with complaints of orthostatic headache, 3 (13%) patients presented with altered mental status (AMS) or focal neurologic deficit. Brain MRI demonstrated pachymeningial enhancement in 16/23 (69.6%) patients, and 5/23 (21.7%) patients had subdural hematoma (SDH) present. Dural leaks were successfully identified in 18/23 (78.3%) patients. 12/23 (52.2%) patients had symptomatic relief with initial EBP, 5/23 (21.7%) patients received repeat EBPs for persistent symptoms will all achieving relief after repeat EBP. About 5/12 (41.7%) patients had recurrent symptoms after initial relief with EBP, and 4/5 (80%) were successfully treated with a second EBP. The mean initial EBP volume and number of EBPs per patient was 21.7 mL. In total, 18/23 (78.2%) patients are currently asymptomatic with regards to their SIH. Mean follow-up in this cohort was 2.6 yr. CONCLUSION EBP is a viable option for the treatment of SIH caused by CSF leak. Repeat epidural blood patch is reasonable in cases of recurrent symptoms.


2010 ◽  
Vol 113 (5) ◽  
pp. 955-960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy W. Vogel ◽  
Brian J. Dlouhy ◽  
Matthew A. Howard

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a syndrome with serious neurological sequelae. As demonstrated by the following report, recurrent episodes of SIH can be difficult to diagnose when associated with other neurosurgical procedures, such as craniectomies. In this paper, the authors demonstrate SIH presenting as a subdural hematoma with recurrence of CSF leaks. Spontaneous intracranial hypotension was further complicated by paradoxical herniation following a craniectomy. Treatment of SIH necessitated multiple epidural blood patches for CSF leaks at different spinal levels and at different times. The efficacy of each epidural blood patch was confirmed with radionuclide imaging. Confirmation of effective blood patch placement may be useful for identifying patients at risk for a failed epidural blood patch or for patients whose neurological examination results have not fully improved.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Magalhães Leite ◽  
Rafael de Souza Andrade ◽  
Thaís Magalhães Lima Leite ◽  
Fernando de Paiva Melo Neto ◽  
Vanessa Barreto Esteves

Introduction: Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a rare syndrome, still underdiagnosed. It manifests with orthostatic headache and improves with decubitus, and may present nausea, vomiting, diplopia, vestibular and auditory symptoms. The main cause of SIH is spontaneous CSF leaks usually in the cervicothoracic transition. Case report: RSA, male, 36 years, he presented holocranial headache triggered in the orthostatic position and decubitus improvement associated with nausea. He denied visual complaints, fever, trauma or invasive procedures. Neurological examination: discrete neck stiffness, fundoscopy and others exams without abnormalities. Brain and cervical spine MRI, also venous AngioMRI were normal. Dorsal spine MRI with extradural collection. Arterial AngioMRI with 2,50x2,0mm aneurysmatic dilation in the right supraclinoid internal carotid artery. Opening pressure of CSF 6cmH2 O. Analgesia, decubitus rest and parsimonious hydration were performed. In cisternoscintigraphy, CSF leakage into the extradural space at the level of D3/D4 and D4/D5 on the left, delay in the rise of the tracer for brain convexities in 24 hours images, suggestive of CSF hypotension. Blood patch guided by radioscopy was performed, with improvement after 2 weeks of the 3rd procedure. Conclusion: Knowing the types of headache and its etiologies is essential to orientate diagnosis and treatment, avoiding unnecessary exams. In this case report, the microaneurysm found did not justify the complaint of orthostatic headache. The rapid diagnosis of spontaneous CSF leaks provided early treatment avoiding complications such as subdural hematomas, cerebral venous thrombosis, pituitary dysfunction.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51
Author(s):  
N Hekha ◽  
CC Tchoyoson Lim

Spontaneous CSF leakage from the spinal canal can give rise to spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). Typically, these patients complain of orthostatic (postural) headache, have very low CSF pressure on lumbar puncture (LP) and usually respond to conservative treatment or by an epidural blood patch. The characteristic MRI features include subdural fluid collections, enhancement of the pachymeninges, engorgement of venous structures, pituitary hyperaemia and sagging of the cerebellar tonsils. Radiologists should recognize the typical clinical and imaging features of SIH and distinguish it from more sinister or malignant differential diagnosis, in order to prevent a delay in diagnosis or unnecessary surgical intervention, especially in resource-constrained situations in developing nations.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njr.v1i1.6324 Nepalese Journal of Radiology Vol.1(1): 45-51 


BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gha-Hyun Lee ◽  
Jiyoung Kim ◽  
Hyun-Woo Kim ◽  
Jae Wook Cho

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.


2000 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 873-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira Matsumura ◽  
Izumi Anno ◽  
Hiroshi Kimura ◽  
Eiichi Ishikawa ◽  
Tadao Nose

✓ The authors describe a case of spontaneous intracranial hypotension in which the leakage site was determined by using magnetic resonance (MR) myelography. This technique demonstrated the route of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, whereas other methods failed to show direct evidence of leakage. Magnetic resonance myelography is a noninvasive method that is highly sensitive in detecting CSF leakage. This is the first report in which a site of CSF leakage was detected using MR myelography.


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