Intracranial air following spinal anesthesia: A case report

Intraspinal air is a rare complication of intraspinal anesthesia. Reported cases of intraspinal or intracranial air are mostly associated with the air insufflation resistance test, while those associated with the normal saline resistance test are rare. This article presents a case of intracranial air following intraspinal anesthesia performed using the normal saline resistance method. The patient was a 38-year-old female who underwent elective intraspinal anesthesia for 1 week without obvious cause of perianal swelling and pain. The procedure included incision and drainage of perianal abscess, excision of anal fistula with internal thread insertion, mixed hemorrhoid exfoliation and internal ligation, and electrocautery of anal papilloma. On the second postoperative day, she experienced headaches, dizziness, severe neck and back pain, along with numbness in the arms and inability to touch or move them. Resting in a supine position did not alleviate the symptoms. Head CT revealed scattered multiple air collections in the cranial cavity, with a total volume of approximately 3 mL. After a multidisciplinary consultation, symptomatic supportive treatment including bed rest, fluid supplementation, oxygen therapy, and anti-inflammatory and analgesic treatment was administered, leading to improvement and discharge. Follow-up at 6 months showed no discomfort. Currently, intracranial air is mostly associated with the air insufflation resistance test, while cases following the normal saline resistance method are rare, with unclear pathophysiological mechanisms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, necessitating further research.