Association Between Symptom Duration and Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure, Protein Concentration, and Number of Cells in Patients with Intracranial Hypotension

Abstract

We sought to investigate the association between symptom duration and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure, protein concentration, and cell counts in patients with intracranial hypotension, in addition to examining differences between spontaneous and post-traumatic types. We investigated 115 consecutive patients with CSF leaks, demonstrated by radionuclide cisternography. In patients with spontaneous CSF leaks, a significant decrease in pressure and increase in protein concentration and number of cells were observed in patients with a symptom duration of ≤3 months compared to those with >3 months. Symptom duration was not associated with those CSF parameters in patients with post-traumatic CSF leaks.

Keywords:

• cerebrospinal fluid pressure
• cerebrospinal fluid proteins
• diagnosis
• intracranial hypotension
• symptoms
• trauma