A quantitative study of intracranial hypotensive syndrome by magnetic resonance

Outcome of epidural blood patch for imaging-negative spontaneous intracranial hypotension

BACKGROUND

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is diagnosed by an abnormal finding in brain MRI, spinal imaging, or lumbar puncture. However, the sensitivity of each test is low. We investigated whether patients with suspected spontaneous intracranial hypotension and negative imaging findings would respond to epidural blood patch.

METHODS

We prospectively recruited patients with new-onset orthostatic headache admitted at the Samsung Medical Center from January 2017 to July 2021. In patients without abnormal imaging findings and no history of prior epidural blood patch, treatment outcome-defined as both 50% response in maximal headache intensity and improvement of orthostatic component-was collected at discharge and three months after epidural blood patch.

RESULTS

We included 21 treatment-naïve patients with orthostatic headache and negative brain and spinal imaging results who received epidural blood patch. After epidural blood patch (mean 1.3 times, range 1-3), 14 (66.7%) and 19 (90.5%) patients achieved both 50% response and improvement of orthostatic component at discharge and three months post-treatment, respectively. Additionally, complete remission was reported in 11 (52.4%) patients at three-month follow-up, while most of the remaining patients had only mild headaches. Among nine (42.9%) patients who underwent lumbar puncture, none had an abnormally low opening pressure (median 13.8 cm H₂O, range 9.2-21.5).

CONCLUSION

Given the high responder rates of epidural blood patch in our study, empirical epidural blood patch should be considered to treat new-onset orthostatic headache, even when brain and spinal imaging are negative. The necessity of lumbar puncture is questionable considering the high response rate of epidural blood patch and low rate of "low pressure."

Brain Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension Score for Treatment Monitoring After Surgical Closure of the Underlying Spinal Dural Leak

BACKGROUND

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a debilitating condition requiring effective treatment; however, objective data on treatment response are scarce.

PURPOSE

To assess the suitability of the brain MRI-based SIH score (bSIH) for monitoring treatment success in SIH patients with a proven spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak after microsurgical closure of the underlying dural breach.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included consecutive SIH patients with a proven spinal CSF leak, investigated at dedicated referral centre January 2012 to March 2020. The bSIH score integrates 6 imaging findings; 3 major (2 points) and 3 minor (1 point), and ranges from 0 to 9, with 0 indicating low and 9 high probability of spinal CSF loss. The score was calculated using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and after surgical treatment of the underlying CSF leak. Headache intensity was registered on a numeric rating scale (NRS) (range 0-10).

RESULTS

In this study 52 SIH patients, 35 (67%) female, mean age 45.3 years, with a proven spinal CSF leak were included. The mean bSIH score decreased significantly from baseline to after surgical closure of the underlying dural breach (6.9 vs. 1.3, P < 0.001). A decrease in the NRS score was reported (8.6 vs. 1.2, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The bSIH score is a simple tool which may serve to monitor treatment success in SIH patients after surgical closure of the underlying spinal dural leak. Its decrease after surgical closure of the underlying spinal dural breach indicates restoration of an equilibrium within the CSF compartment.

Corticosteroids for spontaneous intracranial hypotension: a case-report and critical review focusing on pathophysiology and treatment

Background

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is characterized by positional headache caused by low CSF pressure, without any major traumatic event. Optimal treatment is still debated; epidural blood patch (EBP) is usually used after unsuccessful conservative treatment with variable efficacy and potentially severe complications. Although steroids have been reported to be beneficial, their effectiveness is still controversial, and more clinical evidence is needed.

Case presentation

A 37-year-old woman was admitted to the neurology department due to severe orthostatic headache with nausea over the last 5 days. No trauma history or spinal manipulation were mentioned. On arrival, neurological examination, brain CT, and laboratory investigation were normal. Intracranial hypotension was clinically suspected, and lumbar puncture revealed low opening pressure. Brain MRI demonstrated pachymeningeal gadolinium enhancement and distended and rounded dural venous sinuses, while cervicothoracic spine MRI revealed thoracic CSF leakage, leading to SIH diagnosis. The patient was treated with high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone, with complete clinical resolution within 24 h.

Conclusions

Our case, combined with literature evidence, supports the high-dose intravenous corticosteroids as a reasonable treatment option in selected cases, before trying EBP or surgical repair. Randomized clinical trials are needed, in order to optimize SIH patients’ outcomes.

Variant sella morphology and pituitary gland height in adult patients with Chiari II malformation: potential pitfall in MRI evaluation

PURPOSE

To systematically evaluate the sella morphology and pituitary gland height on brain MRI of Chiari II malformation (C2M) patients to understand the observed high incidence of apparent enlargement of the pituitary gland.

METHODS

Brain MRIs of C2M patients at a single tertiary care adult institution were retrospectively reviewed. We also evaluated two age and gender-matched control groups-patients with normal brain MRI (C1 group) and chronic ventricular shunts (C2 group). The heights of tuberculum sella, dorsum sella, and pituitary gland were measured and compared. The presence or absence of dural thickening was noted.

RESULTS

21 patients were included in each group. In C2M group, a pituitary adenoma was suggested on 24% of the MRIs. The dorsum sella was significantly smaller in the C2M group (4.8 mm) compared to both the C1 group (7.4 mm, p < 0.001) and the C2 group (7.1 mm, p < 0.001). The pituitary gland was also larger in the cranial-caudal dimension in C2M group (8.6 mm) as compared to both the C1 group (6.6 mm, p < 0.01) and the C2 group (6.0 mm, p < 0.001). One C2M patient with a pituitary gland<10 mm was suggested to have a pituitary adenoma on outside MRI, although a normal pituitary gland was seen on pathology.

CONCLUSION

C2M patients have shallow sella which can accentuate the pituitary gland height. The mean pituitary height was larger in C2M patients, but no functional pituitary pathology was present. It is important to consider sella morphology when evaluating the pituitary gland of C2M patients to avoid unnecessary medical and surgical interventions.

Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension Presenting With Frontotemporal Dementia: A Case Report

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a rare and often underdiagnosed condition, which commonly results from a cerebrospinal fluid leak. The classic clinical presentation of SIH is a postural headache and dizziness. Less frequent complications include nausea, neck stiffness, and even coma. This case report describes a 70-year-old woman with an initial complaint of postural headaches and sleep attacks, who developed a 22-month progressive history of personality and behavioral changes, cognitive decline, urinary incontinence, chorea, and dysarthria. Although no specific cerebrospinal fluid leak was identified, the patient was suspected of having SIH and her symptoms completely reversed after a 2-month course of steroids. This case highlights that SIH represents a rare and reversible cause of a wide spectrum of neurological symptoms, including dementia. Neurologists should be aware of this diagnosis when evaluating patients with neurological signs and symptoms that cannot otherwise be explained.

The status of diagnosis and treatment to intracranial hypotension, including SIH

Intracranial hypotension, especially spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH), is a well-recognized entity associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, and has being recognized better in resent years, while still woefully inadequate. An increasing number of factors including iatrogenic factors are realized to involve in development and progression of intracranial hypotension. The diagnosis remains difficult due to the various clinical manifestations, some of which are nonspecific and easily to be neglected. Multiple imaging tests are optional in CSF leakage identification while clinicians are still confronted with difficulties when making selection resulting from superiorities and disadvantages of different imaging tests. Treatments for intracranial hypotension are multifarious but evidence is anecdotal. Values of autologous epidural blood patching (EBP), the mainstay of first-line interventional treatment currently, is getting more and more regards while there are no systematic review of its efficacy and risks. Hereby, the purpose of this review was to reveal the present strategy of intracranial hypotension diagnosis and treatment by reviewing literatures, coupled with our experience in clinical work.