Intracranial Hypotension
Overview
Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is probably an under diagnosed cause of headache, even though its estimated to affect only about one in 50,000 individuals.
Symptoms
The symptoms may include headache, neck stiffness and arm pain.
Causes and Risk Factors
The condition is usually caused by the leakage of cerebrospinal fluid. A combination of an underlying weakness of the spinal meninges and a more or less trivial traumatic event, such as riding a roller coaster or jet skiing, is often found to cause spontaneous intracranial hypotension.
Diagnosis
Computerized tomography scanning (CT) is the most reliable method for finding out exactly where the leak is.
Treatment
Treatment is usually done with surgery to patch the leak. The Cedars-Sinai Department of Neurosurgery is one of the leading medical centers where this procedure is done. The procedure is safe and generally successful.
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