Intracranial subdural hematoma after spinal anesthesia.

Abstract

Intracranial subdural hematoma is an exceptionally rare but life-threatening complication of spinal anesthesia. We report a case of intracranial subdural hematoma following spinal anesthesia for cesarean section in a 27-year-old woman. She developed a diffuse headache after surgery with a blood pressure of 220/140 mm Hg which was followed by generalized seizure activity. Her blood pressure remained high after medication with diazepam, nifedipine and magnesium sulfate. She remained unconscious with a Glasgow coma scale of 5. The cranial tomography revealed a subdural hematoma with diffuse cerebral edema and cerebral tentorial herniation. When a patient complains of postdural puncture headache and then has seizure activity, one should consider alternative diagnoses, including that of a subdural hematoma, and carry out a careful examination, including magnetic resonance imaging or computerized tomography scan.

• Authors: G Berkel Yildirim, S Colakoglu, T Y Atakan, H Büyükkirli
• Journal: International journal of obstetric anesthesia (Int J Obstet Anesth) Vol. 14 Issue 2 Pg. 159-62 (Apr 2005) ISSN: 0959-289X [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 15795150 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Anesthesia, Spinal (adverse effects)
• Brain (diagnostic imaging)
• Female
• Hematoma, Subdural, Intracranial (etiology)
• Humans
• Pregnancy
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed