Intracranial Hypotension Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenge

Intracranial hypotension (IH) is a recognized cause of coma; however, the diagnosis is often challenging, especially in patients with superimposed traumatic brain injury.

A 67-year-old woman became comatose following evacuation of bilateral acute subdural hematomas with concurrent respiratory failure. Imaging and intraparenchymal intracranial pressure monitoring confirmed secondary IH. She was managed with an epidural blood patch and a 72-hour period in the Trendelenburg position guided by intracranial pressure monitoring and clinical assessment. She subsequently made an excellent neurologic recovery from an initial Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3 to a score of 15.

Secondary IH can easily be missed in patients who have sustained a primary brain injury. In patients with a poor neurologic recovery, clinicians should rule out secondary IH as a potential cause, as immediate treatment can lead to profound clinical improvement.