Intracranial hypotension after trauma

Introduction Intracranial hypotension (IH) occurs typically spontaneous and is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by symptoms varying from postural headache to coma, with classical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Case description We report two cases of clinically relev...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:SpringerPlus 2014-03, Vol.3 (1), p.153-153, Article 153
Main Authors: Sarrafzadeh, Asita S, Hopf, Stephanie A, Gautschi, Oliver P, Narata, Ana-Paula, Schaller, Karl
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case Study
Humanities and Social Sciences
Medicine
multidisciplinary
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:Introduction Intracranial hypotension (IH) occurs typically spontaneous and is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by symptoms varying from postural headache to coma, with classical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Case description We report two cases of clinically relevant trauma-related IH and review of the literature. One patient with a cerebral trauma presented unilateral mydriasis and coma resolved by the Trendelenburg position (-20°) as urgency intervention. In the second patient, IH was caused by a lesion of the brachial plexus after a motor vehicle accident. Discussion and conclusion A history of mild or moderate trauma in association with prolonged postural or permanent headache may indicate IH. Posttraumatic IH is rare, nevertheless life-threatening in case of misdiagnosis. Intracranial hypotension in a trauma context is rarely described and difficult to diagnose. The change from tipical supine 30° to Trendelenburg position (0–20°) can be a life-saving manoeuver in these patients.
ISSN:2193-1801
2193-1801
DOI:10.1186/2193-1801-3-153