Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension with Magnetic Resonance Localisation of Spinal Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak

Abstract

To increase the awareness of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH), we report in this paper a middle-aged woman who presented with an intractable headache that worsened in sitting and standing positions (a postural headache). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine demonstrated a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak at the level of the cervical spine, in addition to typical features in a brain MRI, including symmetrical subdural collections, circumferential dural enhancement and features of midbrain sagging. The patient underwent a surgical repair of the cervical CSF leak which resulted in a dramatic symptomatic improvement that was confirmed by follow-up imaging.