• Jerzy Slowinski, Wieslaw Szydlik, Agata Sanetra, Irena Kaminska, and Ryszard Mrowka.
• Department of Neurosurgery and Neurotraumatology, Medical University of Silesia, Al Legionow 10, 31-902 Bytom, Poland. slowian@mp.pl
• Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2003 Jul 1; 28 (4): 347-50.

Background And ObjectivesIntracranial subdural hematoma is a rare but potentially fatal complication of spinal anesthesia (SA). This case is intended to highlight the importance of careful follow-up of patients with a chronic headache that develops after SA.Case ReportA 38-year-old woman underwent saphenous vein ligation for varices under SA. On the first postoperative day, she complained of severe postural headache that was controllable with oral analgesics. Two weeks later, bilateral abducens nerve palsy with diplopia developed. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed small bilateral subdural hygromas. Diplopia and headache (no longer postural) were relieved after administration of dexamethasone, but reappeared 6 wks later. This time, MRI showed large subdural hematomas. The patient was treated with burr-hole decompression.ConclusionsPersistent headache after SA requires careful neurologic and radiologic follow-up for exclusion of chronic intracranial bleeding. Pharmacologic treatment may mask some neurologic symptoms and delay diagnosis of intracranial complications related to SA.

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