title: Cerebellopontine angle empyema after lumbar disc herniation surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lumbar discectomy is still one of the most common spinal surgeries performed today. Nevertheless, there are few publications considering severe complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case with severe complication, without any previous report, a brain empyema after cerebrospinal fluid leak with good outcome afterword. A 45 years old man, returned six days after surgery, presenting cerebrospinal fluid leak, which after clinical and laboratory deterioration was reoperated. In the 14th postoperative facing worsening level of consciousness was diagnosed empyema in cerebellopontine angle and hydrocephalus underwent emergency surgery. Evolved with hemiplegia in the first postoperative attributed to vasculitis, completely recovered after 5 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although infrequent, lumbar discectomy is subject to severe complications, which as the case presented, can be dramatic. In surgeries must be careful to avoid cerebrospinal fluid leak e infectious complications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery at University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Clarissa Gambara
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery at University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roger Schmidt
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery at University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Barbara Albuquerque
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery at University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wagner Malagó
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery at University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Manoel Jacobsen
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery at University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wellingson Silva
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Paiva
keywords: Herniated disc; brain empyema; cerebrospinal fluid leak; postoperative complications