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Brain Herniation Secondary to Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak Following Elective Lumbar Spine Surgery

Andrew Zhang1, Junho Song2, John K Czerwein3

  • 1Orthopaedic Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA.

Cureus
|January 10, 2022
PubMed

Lumbar spine surgery can be complicated by perioperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. However, development of brain herniation secondary to CSF leak following lumbar spine surgery has not been previously reported in the current literature. This case report describes a 48-year-old woman who, after a revision lumbar decompression and fusion, experienced CSF leak followed by development of brain herniation, which resulted in patient demise. The postoperative period was complicated by patient nonadherence to conservative management of CSF leak.

Keywords:
brain herniationcomplicationcsf leakdural leakelectivelumbarspine surgerytranstentorial herniation

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