Simultaneous appearance of cerebral venous thrombosis and subdural hematomas as rare cause of headache in puerperium following epidural analgesia: a case report

• Published in: Croatian medical journal 2012-08, Vol.53 (4), p.379-385
• Main Authors: Zupan, Zeljko, Sotosek Tokmadzić, Vlatka, Matanić-Manestar, Marinka, Sustić, Alan, Antoncić, Igor, Dunatov, Sinisa, Pavlović, Ivan, Antulov, Ronald
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Analgesia; Analgesia, Epidural; Brain; Care and treatment; Case Report; Complications and side effects; Diagnosis; Female; Headache; Headache - etiology; Hematoma, Subdural - complications; Hematoma, Subdural - diagnosis; Hematoma, Subdural - drug therapy; Humans; Lateral Sinus Thrombosis - complications; Lateral Sinus Thrombosis - diagnosis; Lateral Sinus Thrombosis - drug therapy; Obstetric Labor Complications - diagnosis; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; Sagittal Sinus Thrombosis - complications; Sagittal Sinus Thrombosis - diagnosis; Sagittal Sinus Thrombosis - drug therapy; Subdural hematoma; Venous thrombosis; Venous Thrombosis - complications; Venous Thrombosis - diagnosis; Venous Thrombosis - drug therapy; Ventricles
• ISSN: 0353-9504; 1332-8166
• DOI: 10.3325/cmj.2012.53.379

The aim of this study is to report the first case of simultaneous appearance of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) and bilateral subdural hematomas (SDHs) following epidural analgesia for labor and delivery and to point out the difficulty of establishing such a diagnosis in the presence of postpartum headache. A 26-year old primigravida with a history of epilepsy received epidural analgesia for delivery. Three days after the uneventful spontaneous vaginal delivery she complained about the headache. Patient responded very well to the pain medication and oral hydration, and the headache was relieved. Ten days after the delivery, the headache reoccurred, and an epidural blood patch was performed that successfully relieved her symptom. Stronger progressive headache with nausea reappeared two days later and the parturient was readmitted to hospital. Urgent neuroimaging examinations detected CVT of right the transverse sinus, ipsilateral cortical veins, and partially occluded superior sagittal sinus, as well as bilateral subacute/chronic SDHs. The treatment of the patient with low molecular weight heparin and antiaggregation therapy was effective. In this case, the diagnosis was delayed because of atypical clinical presentation and potentially confounding events (epidural analgesia and assumption that it was a case of PDPH). It is important to carefully observe patients in such conditions and promptly conduct suitable diagnostic tests. Otherwise, unrecognized intracranial complications and delay of appropriate therapy could be life-threatening.