This fluid is called the cerebrospinal fluid CSF. Any tear or hole in the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord dura can allow the fluid that surrounds those organs to leak. When it leaks out, the pressure around the brain and spinal cord drops. The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms. Tests may include:. Depending on the cause of the leak, many symptoms improve on their own after a few days.
Complete bed rest for several days is usually recommended. Drinking more fluids, especially drinks with caffeine, can help slow or stop the leak and may help with headache pain. Headache may be treated with pain relievers and fluids. If the headache lasts longer than a week after a lumbar puncture, a procedure may be done to block the hole that may be leaking fluid.
This is called a blood patch, because a blood clot can be used to seal the leak. In most cases, this makes symptoms go away.
In rare cases, surgery is needed to repair the tear in the dura and stop the headache. If symptoms of infection fever, chills, change in mental status are present, they need to be treated with antibiotics. Outlook is usually good depending on the cause. Most cases heal by themselves with no lasting symptoms. Complications may occur if the cause is surgery or trauma. Infections after surgery or trauma can lead to meningitis and serious complications, such as swelling of the brain, and need to be treated right away.
Most CSF leaks are a complication of a spinal tap or surgery. CT and MRI scans may also be require to determine the location and severity of the leakage. Two further diagnostic tests may also be performed to assist in the diagnosis of the CSF leak: a coronal CT cisternogram and a pledget study. A pledget study involves placing small cotton pads called "pledgets" into the nose. This test is used to confirm the presence of a CSF leak, although it cannot determine the exact location of the leak.
To determine the exact location of the leak, a CT cisternogram would be performed. If you ever get a CFL, you should be aware of the signs, so you can get treated. With that in mind, here are the most common signs that you may have developed a cerebrospinal fluid leak. As we mentioned, your brain and spinal cord are surrounded by a protective and supportive fluid, which is contained by a tough membrane called your dura.
If there's a hole or tear in your dura, fluid can leak out, which is what creates a CFL. In some cases, CFLs can develop for unknown reasons, or they may stem from a problem called high-pressure hydrocephalus, which is when you have an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid. A CFL can lead to a number of symptoms, but the primary one to look out for is a positional headache.
The takeaway here is that headaches that come and go according to your position are one of the leading signs of a CFL. Outside of positional headaches, the symptoms of a CFL depend on whether the leak is cranial or spinal.
With cranial CFLs, which is where our expertise lies, you may experience:.
0コメント