Allogeneic epidural blood patch in the setting of persistent spinal headache and disseminated coccidioidomycosis.
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In most cases of post-dural puncture headache, the positional symptoms will resolve spontaneously within 2 weeks. Conservative therapies include oral analgesics and hydration, bed rest, and abdominal binders. For refractory cases, an autologous epidural blood patch remains the treatment of choice. However, in certain cases the use of autologous blood for the blood patch may place the patient at risk for infectious or malignant contamination of the central nervous system. Coccidioidomycosis results from inhalation of the arthroconidia (spore) stage of the fungal lifecycle. The most common manifestation of coccidioidomycosis is acute pulmonary symptoms, while the most feared complication is meningitis. Immunocompromised patients are at increased risk of fungemia; therefore, introduction of fungal elements into the central nervous system can occur if autologous blood is used for an epidural blood patch. We report a case of persistent dural-puncture headache in the setting of disseminated coccidioidomycosis. An autologous blood epidural blood patch was considered but deferred due to risk of coccidioidomycosis meningitis. Other epidural space interventions such as fibrin glue injection or saline infusions were judged to be too imprecise or ineffective. The patient was successfully treated with allogeneic blood donated by his wife, but only after testing of her blood as is required for any directed blood donation. Allogeneic epidural blood patches are an option for refractory dural puncture headaches when autologous blood may cause meningitis or malignant seeding of the central nervous system. (+info)
Spinal cerebrospinal fluid leakage after motor vehicle accident.
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Two patients presented with spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage manifesting as chronic disabling headache and other symptoms after motor vehicle accidents. Combined radioisotope cisternography and computed tomography myelography confirmed the presence of the spinal leaks in the lumbar spine. Radioisotope cisternography has limited spatial resolution, so there is persistent and probably unfair mistrust in its reliability. The present 2 cases confirmed the diagnosis and support the causal relationship between motor vehicle accidents and spinal CSF leakage. (+info)
Infratentorial hygroma secondary to decompressive craniectomy after cerebellar infarction.
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We present a case of expansive CSF collection in the cerebellar convexity. The patient was a 74 years old lady who one month before had suffered a cerebellar infarct complicated with acute hydrocephalus. She had good evolution after decompressive craniectomy without shunting. Fifteen days after surgery, the patient started with new positional vertigo, nausea and vomiting and a wound CSF fistula that needed ventriculoperitoneal shunt (medium pressure) because conservative treatment failed. After shunting, the fistula closed, but the patient symptoms worsened. The MRI showed normal ventricular size with a cerebellar hygroma, extending to the posterior interhemispheric fissure. The collection had no blood signal and expanded during observation. A catheter was implanted in the collection and connected to the shunt. The patient became asymptomatic after surgery, and the hygromas had disappeared in control CT at one month. This case shows an infrequent problem of CSF circulation at posterior fossa that resulted in vertigo of central origin. A higroma-ventricle-peritoneal shunt solved the symptoms of the patient. (+info)
Cerebrospinal fluid leakage and pneumocephalus secondary to spine stab wounds.
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Effects of unilateral decompressive craniectomy on patients with unilateral acute post-traumatic brain swelling after severe traumatic brain injury.
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Coexistence of cranial and spinal subdural hematomas: case report.
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A 47-year-old man presented with chronic cranial subdural hematomas (SDHs) associated with spinal SDH manifesting as onset of severe lumbago revealed in the follow up for bilateral subdural effusions after trauma. Left chronic cranial SDH was first identified. Two months after evacuation of the left chronic cranial SDH, he complained of severe lumbago. Magnetic resonance imaging detected spinal SDH, prior to the diagnosis and treatment of right chronic cranial SDH. The present case of concomitant occurrence of cranial and spinal SDHs suggests that the possibility of spinal SDH should be investigated with magnetic resonance imaging in patients with chronic cranial SDH. (+info)