Late recurrence of post-dural puncture headache

Abstract

The term post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) refers to a common complication that occurs after accidental dural puncture. One of the diagnostic symptoms of PDPH is a postural headache, which worsens dramatically while sitting or standing and is relieved mostly by lying down. This symptom is caused by a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, leading to decreased CSF pressure or low CSF volume, which provokes a shift of intracranial contents and traction on pain-sensitive structures in the upright position. PDPH is commonly a self-limited condition and remits spontaneously within 2 weeks, or becomes less severe after surgical intervention to seal the leak with autologous epidural blood patch (EBP). Although recurrence of spontaneous intracranial hypotension following an EBP is not rare, spontaneously late recurrence of PDPH has been rarely reported. The purpose of this paper is to discuss this case with late recurrence of PDPH after 10 months following EBP.