Clinical Findings, Radiological Characteristics, and Treatment Options of Spontaneous and Secondary Intracranial Hypotension: A Single-Center Experience in Turkey

Introduction Intracranial hypotension can occur for many reasons, including trauma, surgery, congenital defects, or spontaneous rupture of the dura mater. Symptoms appear long before cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are diagnosed. Treatment procedures include a variety of conservative and invasive techniques appropriate to the nature of the etiological cause and the severity of the disease. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate the clinical and imaging features and treatment options of intracranial hypotension patients and to compare them in terms of different etiologies. Methods The data from intracranial hypotension patients were analyzed retrospectively. Symptomatology, neurological findings, and radiological features were compared between patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) and those with secondary causes. Radiological outcomes of conservative treatment and epidural blood patch (EBP) were also evaluated for both groups. Results Of the 30 patients, 23 were female. In 14 of the patients (46.6%), a possible cause of CSF leakage was detected. Compared to intracranial hypotension patients with a secondary cause, SIH patients complained of posterior neck and shoulder pain more frequently (p=0.014, p=0.006). MRI features did not differ significantly when the two groups were compared (p>0.05). The first and sixth-month follow-up MRIs of patients treated with EBP or a conservative approach showed similar improvement rates (p=0.788). Conclusions There was no significant difference in radiological recovery time between conservative treatment and EBP in patients with intracranial hypotension. Radiological recovery times are similar in patients with secondary intracranial hypotension and SIH.