title: [Spontaneous intracranial hypotension: a rare cause of chronic headache].
abstract: Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is a rare cause of chronic postural headache. We report the case of a 58-year-old woman with a 1.5 year history of chronic headache in upright position, nausea and vomiting. Neurological examination was normal. The Gd-enhanced MRI of the brain showed an abnormal meningeal enhancement over the cerebral convexity. The CSF was normal. Opening pressure during lumbar puncture was 6 cm H2O in the lateral recumbent position. No evidence of underlying systemic, infectious or neoplastic diseases could be detected. The headache was alleviated under theophylline therapy. Spontaneous intracranial hypotension should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic postural headache. MRI revealing meningeal enhancement and low opening pressure in lumbar puncture are important findings for the diagnosis of spontaneous intracranial hypotension.
authors.affiliation: Neurologische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum der RWTH Aachen. MHungs@neurologie.rwth-aachen.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hungs
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Schoen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Töpper
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Noth
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D019585:Intracranial Hypotension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture