Antenatal blood patch in a pregnant woman with spontaneous intracranial hypotension.
Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is a condition that presents with postural headaches similar to those caused by accidental dural puncture. The diagnosis is based on clinical presentation, cerebrospinal fluid evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging scanning. We present a case of spontaneous intracranial hypotension with typical clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings in a pregnant patient who was treated with an epidural blood patch. The blood patch, performed at 32 weeks of gestation, produced transient improvement in symptoms but failed to completely cure the headache, which worsened over the next few days. Symptoms resolved over the subsequent three weeks with conservative therapy.
Singh
T
T
Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, St. George's Hospital NHS Trust, Tooting, London, UK. singhtulika@hotmail.com
Schroeder
F
F
Pereira
A
A
Bhide
A
A
D000328:Adult; D017217:Blood Patch, Epidural; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D019585:Intracranial Hypotension / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008578:Meninges / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology