Vocal fold paralysis due to intracranial hypotension following spinal anesthesia

Cranial nerve palsy is a rare neurological complication of epidural and subarachnoid blocks. Most of these complications are attributed to secondary intracranial hypotension due to cerebrospinal fluid leakage following dural puncture. Vocal fold paralysis (VFP) seems more likely to be overlooked and underreported due to delayed onset of symptoms and lack of attribution of dysphonia to spinal anesthesia. Therefore, VFP can often be missed and described as idiopathic. This article describes a case of VFP due to vagus nerve injury following subarachnoid block.