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What Causes Low Pressure Headaches?
Question: I been having low pressure headaches for 8 years now. I can hear it in my neck and when that happens I can feel it drain down my throat and drip from my nose. Also, I get very wet eyes and I used a glucose stick and got a positive result. I can crack my neck and get very sick and I have fainted quite a few times. I have seen dr servinck at Cedar Cini back in 2008. He just did mri's and did a blood patch which worked for a few days. Have not seen him since. I live in XXXXXXX and they do not have anybody that specializes in CSF leaks. I had a colloid cyst removed and had a shunt. I ended up having a ETV done in 2012 and just had a MRI cini and the ETV is still open. I need help, I am bed ridden most of the day
Brief Answer:
You need surgery for CSF leak.
Detailed Answer:
Hi, XXXX.Thanks for asking personally. CSF leak may be complicated with meningitis, continuous headaches etc. First of all there's need to identify exact source and location of the cerebrospinal fluid leakage. This needs a thin cut coronal CT scan of your skull and brain. In most cases this identifies the source, if not there are special isotope usage techniques that can be used for this purpose. Once the location and source are identified, you need surgery to repair the bone and dural ( brain layer) defect and to stop leakage ( I assume you had frontal area surgery for the cyst removal, or entry point for the ETV and didn't have any head trauma). There are two surgical options in this case:
1. Open surgery with some retraction of brain. (this should be used for revision of the previously surgery area).
2. Endoscopic assisted surgery mainly used in bone defects adjacent to sinuses.
CSF leakage surgery may be very trick, often failing, so you need an appointment in a specialized Neurosugical institution in order to get best treatment. Once treated CSF leak, if symptoms persist there's need to deal with ETV functionality. Hope this answers your question. Feel free to ask if you have further questions.
You need surgery for CSF leak.
Detailed Answer:
Hi, XXXX.Thanks for asking personally. CSF leak may be complicated with meningitis, continuous headaches etc. First of all there's need to identify exact source and location of the cerebrospinal fluid leakage. This needs a thin cut coronal CT scan of your skull and brain. In most cases this identifies the source, if not there are special isotope usage techniques that can be used for this purpose. Once the location and source are identified, you need surgery to repair the bone and dural ( brain layer) defect and to stop leakage ( I assume you had frontal area surgery for the cyst removal, or entry point for the ETV and didn't have any head trauma). There are two surgical options in this case:
1. Open surgery with some retraction of brain. (this should be used for revision of the previously surgery area).
2. Endoscopic assisted surgery mainly used in bone defects adjacent to sinuses.
CSF leakage surgery may be very trick, often failing, so you need an appointment in a specialized Neurosugical institution in order to get best treatment. Once treated CSF leak, if symptoms persist there's need to deal with ETV functionality. Hope this answers your question. Feel free to ask if you have further questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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