LATE RECURRENCE OF POSTDURAL PUNCTURE HEADACHE - CASE-REPORT

Background and Objectives. Postdural puncture headache can recur follo wing an epidural blood patch but usually does so within the first week . However, a late recurrence was encountered in a 31-year-old woman wi th probable lupus vasculitis. Methods. The patient underwent a diagnos tic lumbar puncture and suffered a postdural puncture headache. She wa s treated with an epidural blood patch and had complete resolution of her headache. Five weeks later, she suffered a sudden recurrence of an identical headache and underwent a repeat epidural blood patch. Resul ts. The second headache, like the first, was immediately and completel y resolved. Conclusions. A review of risk factors for postdural punctu re headache and the role of an epidural blood patch suggests a possibl e explanation for the late recurrence in this case.