A 53-year-old man developed significant mass effect secondary to an ischaemic stroke and was treated with decompressive craniectomy. During the first few days postsurgery he developed orthostatic vertigo with nausea. After a month, with increasing mobilisation and rehabilitation, he started reporting of severe abdominal pain. No aetiology could be found despite extensive local work up and the symptoms were resistant to any symptomatic treatment. Within days postcranioplasty there was a complete resolution of all the symptoms.
Conclusion: the sinking flap syndrome can cause abdominal pain and orthostatic vertigo.
2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.