Turkish Neurosurgery 2009 , Vol 19 , Num 3
Intracranial Chronic Subdural Haematoma as a Complication of Epidural Anesthesia
Nail ÖZDEMİR1, Mustafa Kemal ARI2, Mustafa Fazıl GELAL3, Hamdi BEZİRCİOĞLU4
1,2,4İzmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Neurosurgery Department, İzmir, Turkey
3İzmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Radiology Department, İzmir, Turkey
We report the case of a 39-year-old woman with unilateral intracranial chronic subdural haematoma that occurred after epidural anesthesia for excision of a skin scar, complicated by postdural puncture headache. The patient had no history of trauma, headache, coagulation abnormalities, or neurological disorders. Most physicians encountering a case of headache after epidural or spinal anesthesia first think of a postdural puncture headache. Nonetheless, the symptoms subside within 7 days when treated with analgesics and bed rest in the majority of cases. The presence of a continued postdural puncture headache without neurological deterioration, as in this case, should prompt a search for an intracranial lesion. Keywords : Chronic subdural haematoma, Dural puncture, Epidural anesthesia, Headache
Corresponding author : Nail Özdemir, nailozdemir@mynet.com