Delayed Iatrogenic Intracranial Hypotension After Thoracotomy.
case_report · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 31904369.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2019.11.020.
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Abstract
We report a case of intracranial hypotension (IH) after thoracotomy. A 56-year-old woman presented 10 days after a left upper lobectomy with severe headache due to pneumocephalus and pneumorrhachis, which resolved on conservative treatment. Two months later, the patient was readmitted in an unconscious state with characteristics of IH and "sagging brain." Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging revealed a fistula at the level of the left Th5 pedicle. The patient underwent operation with closure of the fistula and recovered without complications. The presence of pneumocephalus and pneumorrhachis after thoracotomy should raise the suspicion of a persistent subarachnoid-pleural fistula to prevent IH and "sagging brain."
Medical subject headings
- Iatrogenic Disease
- Intracranial Hypotension
- Intracranial Pressure
- Postoperative Complications
- Thoracotomy