title: Subcutaneous blood patch for iatrogenic suboccipital pseudomeningocele following decompressive suboccipital craniectomy and enlarging duroplasty for the treatment of Chiari I malformation. Technical note.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidural blood patch (EBP) represents one of the best nonsurgical treatment for intracranial hypotension syndrome. Orthostatic headache caused by reduced intracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure, like in "spontaneous" intracranial hypotension or as consequence of lumbar puncture or anesthesiological procedure, can be managed with the injection of autologous blood on the epidural space with a successful rate of 89%, increased to 97% after a second application.
  
  
  METHODS
  This 9-year-old girl was admitted to our department because of a suboccipital pseudomeningocele. She was previously operated on for a Chiari type I malformation by suboccipital craniectomy, C1 laminectomy and duraplasty. At the admission, she complained for nucal pain. Brain MRI showed a large suboccipital fluid collection that persisted even after the revision of the duraplasty and the placement of an external lumbar drainage. The child underwent a first injection of a mixture of blood (10 ml) and fibrin glue (10 ml) within the subcutaneous space after needle-aspiration of the collection. The same treatment was repeated 3 weeks later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The procedures were well tolerated and no local or systemic complications occurred. The fluid collection was significantly reduced after the first injection and it was completely effaced following the second one. Such a result remained stable after 3 months, as demonstrated by MRI. No recurrence of the pseudomeningocele was detected at the last clinical control (8-month follow-up).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subcutaneous blood patch could represent a safe and effective option for the treatment of CSF fistula, especially in case of failure of the traditional management.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurosurgery, Catholic University Medical School, Largo Gemelli 8, Rome, Italy. g.paternoster@libero.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paternoster
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Massimi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tamburrini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caldarelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Rocco
mesh_terms: D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000601:surgery; D017217:Blood Patch, Epidural; D002648:Child; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects; D056424:Decompressive Craniectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease