title: Spontaneous intracranial hypotension syndrome treated with fludrocortisone.
abstract: Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is a rare syndrome characterized by orthostatic headache not associated with trauma or dural puncture. In most cases, it is caused by a spontaneous spinal cerebrospinal fluid leakage as demonstrated by neuroradiological studies. The standard of care consists of conservative treatment including bed rest, hydration, and administration of caffeine or glucocorticoids. When such conservative therapy fails, an epidural blood patch is recommended. In this report, we describe the treatment of 2 patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension who failed conservative treatment and went on to have complete and sustained resolution of their symptoms after the administration of oral fludrocortisone.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, American University of Beirut- Medical Center, Riad El-Solh, Beirut, Lebanon; and †Department of Neurology, American University of Beirut- Medical Center, Riad El-Solh, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Marwan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizk
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Khatib
authors.forename: Bassem
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yamout
authors.forename: Elissar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hujeily
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayoub
authors.forename: Chakib
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ayoub
authors.forename: Ghassan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Skaf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017217:Blood Patch, Epidural / Q000379:methods; D065634:Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005438:Fludrocortisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D019585:Intracranial Hypotension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005438:Fludrocortisone