The Management of Recurrent Post-myelography Lumbar Pseudomeningocele With Epidural Blood Patch

Pseudomeningoceles are a well-known potential postoperative complication of spinal and cranial surgeries that can occur after lumbar decompression and posterior fossa surgeries. They are often caused by incidental durotomies but may also occur as a result of dural puncture during diagnostic testing. This report describes a 59-year-old male that developed a recurrent pseudomeningocele after an L4 laminectomy for severe lumbar spinal stenosis that was ultimately treated with an epidural blood patch (EBP). His preoperative condition greatly improved, but he developed a pseudomeningocele that did not resolve after applying ice and light pressure. The patient subsequently underwent a wound exploration where no dural defect was identified. During this exploration, the dura was reinforced with dural onlays and sealant. Unfortunately, the patient developed another pseudomeningocele within a short interval. It was then suspected that the post-laminectomy site provided a space for the dural punctures from previous CT myelography to leak cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into. The patient subsequently underwent ultrasound (US)-guided aspiration of the pseudomeningocele and EBP injections at the levels where his preoperative myelography was performed. The success of the EBP indicates that the previous CT myelography was the likely cause of the pseudomeningocele. Recurrent spinal pseudomeningoceles with no evidence of incidental durotomy may be caused by dural puncture from myelography. In such cases, EBP to the area that the previous myelography was performed can resolve the pseudomeningocele.