Refractory late-onset cerebrospinal fluid fistula following mammoplasty: case report of a rare complication

Mammoplasty is commonly performed under epidural anesthesia combined with intravenous sedation; however, this carries a risk of dural puncture and post-dural puncture headache. Successful treatment is often achieved with opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and caffeine. When conservative treatment fails, an epidural blood patch should be performed; this procedure has a high resolution rate. We report the case of a patient who developed a post-dural puncture headache 25 days after elective breast implant replacement performed under thoracic epidural anesthesia combined with intravenous sedation. The post-dural puncture headache was refractory to conservative treatment and the first epidural blood patch was unsuccessful. This case represents an exceptionally rare presentation of post-dural puncture headache, marked by a delayed onset of nearly four weeks and requiring a second epidural blood patch for symptom resolution.