Improved spinal MRI findings after epidural blood patch administration: A pediatric case

We report improved spinal MRI findings in a pediatric case of post-dural puncture headache treated by epidural blood patch administration.In this case, a 7-year-old girl with a history of recurrent lumbar punctures and orthostatic headache for three months is presented. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak was reported at the level of T5-L1 by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An autologous epidural blood patch was performed under sedation with a blood volume of 6 ml. Five days after the procedure MRI showed no CSF signal in the extradural space and dural infolding was found to be disappeared. On the seventh day of the procedure, headache recurred and the procedure was repeated using same amount of blood. After seven months of follow-up, the patient reported no recurrence of headache.To the best of our knowledge, this is the first pediatric case report that presents improved spinal MRI findings following an epidural blood patch. Although MR findings show improvement, it is not a definitive proof of the adequacy of the treatment.
Source: Egyptian Journal of Anaesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research