Spontaneous Thoracic Dural Tear Presenting With Postural Headache: A Case Report

Incidental dural tear (durotomy) is a known complication of many forms of spinal instrumentation. The majority of durotomy cases are due to a known traumatic force, such as an intentional durotomy during neuraxial anesthesia, or an unintentional tear during lumbar decompression surgery. However, spontaneous dural tears have occasionally been reported.

We report a case of a 16-year-old woman with postural headaches who was found to have a spontaneous thoracic dural tear on magnetic resonance imaging. She underwent a successful fluoroscopic-guided epidural blood patch with resolution of symptoms.

This case highlights the importance of considering spontaneous dural tears as a possible cause of postural headaches.