Acute intracranial subdural hematoma after epidural steroid injection: a case report

Conservative treatment of lumbar radiculopathy includes bed rest, oral medications, physical therapy, spinal manipulation, mobilization, and epidural steroid injections. Intracranial subdural hematoma after accidental dural puncture is a rare and life-threatening complication of epidural steroid injections. In this report, we present a case of subacute intracranial subdural hematoma that developed after epidural steroid injection.

A 40-year-old man was admitted to our clinic with severe persistent headache and vomiting for 2 days after epidural steroid injection for right leg pain.

The patient was hospitalized for epidural steroid injection for right leg pain in our pain clinic and was discharged the same day. Twenty-four hours later, he started having a headache. Despite the use of oral analgesics, his headache worsened, and he began to vomit particularly in the upright position. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain displayed a right frontal subdural hematoma. The headache was relieved after strict bed rest, intravenous hydration, and analgesics. The patient was discharged with full recovery after 1 week.

Intracranial subdural hematoma after accidental dural puncture during epidural steroid injection is a rare complication. Persistent headache should be evaluated carefully for possible intracranial hematomas.