title: Computed tomography-guided epidural patching of postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leaks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cerebrospinal fluid leaks due to unrecognized durotomy during spinal surgery are often managed with a second surgery for dural closure. CT-guided percutaneous patching targeted to the dural defect offers an alternative to surgery since it can be performed in a minimally invasive fashion without the need for general anesthesia. This case series describes the authors' experience using targeted CT-guided percutaneous patching to repair incidental durotomies incurred during spinal surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  This investigation is a retrospective case series involving patients who underwent CT-guided percutaneous patching of surgical incidental durotomies and were referred between January 2007 and June 2013. Their presenting clinical history, myelographic findings, and clinical outcomes, including the need for eventual surgical duraplasty, were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine cases were identified, including 7 durotomies incurred during lumbar discectomy, one due to a medial transpedicular screw breach, and one incurred during vertebrectomy for spinal osteosarcoma. All patients who had favorable outcomes with percutaneous intervention alone had 2 common features: dural defect of 4 mm or smaller and absence of a pseudomeningocele. Patients with CSF leaks complicated by pseudomeningocele and those with a dural defect of 6 mm or more all required eventual surgical management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors' results suggest that findings on CT myelography may help predict which patients with postsurgical durotomy can be treated with percutaneous intervention. In particular, CT-guided patching may be more likely to be successful in those patients with dural defects of less than 5 mm and without pseudomeningocele. In patients with larger dural defects or pseudomeningoceles, percutaneous blood patching alone is unlikely to be successful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mihlon
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Kranz
authors.forename: Andreia Roxana
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gafton
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D065634:Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D003287:Contrast Media; D017586:Diskectomy; D004824:Epidural Space / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007479:Iopamidol; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D015641:Radiography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007479:Iopamidol
keywords: CSF leak; CT-guided; CTF = CT fluoroscopy; epidural patch; fibrin glue; incidental durotomy; pseudomeningocele; spine surgery