Intracranial hypotension with severe neurological symptoms resolved by epidural blood patch

Abstract

Background: A patient with a constellation of severe neurological symptoms caused by spontaneous intracranial hypotension, which was successfully managed by epidural blood patch, was described. Case history: A 50-year-old woman presented to the neurological service with a two-month history of orthostatic headache. Associated clinical features included sensorineural deafness, ataxia and short-term memory loss. Magnetic resonance imaging showed downward displacement of brain structures, bilateral subdural collections and the postgadolinium images demonstrated diffuse dural enhancement suggestive of the diagnosis of spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Results: Following a lumbar epidural blood patch, all symptoms improved significantly and her headache resolved. Conclusion: The principal presentation of spontaneous intracranial hypotension is orthostatic headache. The patient described presented a combination of various neurological symptoms, ataxia, memory loss and deafness, which all responded well to epidural blood patch.