Background:
Subdural hematoma (SDH) after accidental dural puncture (ADP) is rare but may be lethal. We experienced a patient who developed SDH after combined spinal and epidural anesthesia without a headache.
Case presentation:
A 41-year-old parturient female with an unruptured cerebral aneurysm, was scheduled to undergo elective cesarean delivery. Cerebrospinal fluid leakage was identified during puncture of the epidural space, and a catheter was placed after re-puncture. The postoperative course was normal except for incisional pain. The patient complained of slight neck stiffness on the second postoperative day. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to ensure that there was no intracranial problem on the fourth postoperative day and showed a bilateral subdural hematoma. Increase in size of hematoma was shown on computed tomography (CT) on the ninth postoperative day. Epidural blood patch was performed. A decrease in the size of the hematoma was confirmed on the CT images on the 11th postoperative day, and the patient was discharged. The patient has not developed any additional symptoms.
Conclusions:
We experienced a patient who developed a SDH without a remarkable headache. It may be better to perform brain imaging studies, even if the patient does not complain of headache.