Post-lumbar puncture headache. Etiology and management.

Abstract

Headache following a lumbar puncture is a common and often debilitating syndrome. Continued leakage of cerebrospinal fluid from a puncture site decreases intracranial pressure, which leads to traction on pain-sensitive intracranial structures. The headache is characteristically postural, often associated with nausea and optic, vestibular, or otic symptoms. Although usually self-limited after a few days, severe postural pain can incapacitate the patient. Management is mainly symptomatic, but definitive treatment with the epidural blood patching technique is safe and effective when done by an expert operator.