Unsuspected cerebrospinal fluid leak following a minor sacral fracture: A case report

Marcelo Rego Mota da Rocha Filho; Viviane Sayuri Yamachira Dwan; Diogo Guilherme Leao Edelmuth; Paulo Victor Partezani Helito; Denise Tokechi Amaral; Marcos Felippe de Paula Correa; Renata Vidal Leão

doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2023.11.022

Unsuspected cerebrospinal fluid leak following a minor sacral fracture: A case report

Radiol Case Rep. 2023 Nov 29;19(2):716-720. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2023.11.022. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Authors

Marcelo Rego Mota da Rocha Filho¹, Viviane Sayuri Yamachira Dwan¹, Diogo Guilherme Leao Edelmuth¹, Paulo Victor Partezani Helito¹, Denise Tokechi Amaral¹, Marcos Felippe de Paula Correa¹, Renata Vidal Leão¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Radiology, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, R. Adma Jafet, 91, São Paulo, 01308-050 Brazil.

Abstract

We describe a unique case of a 38-year-old female who presented at the emergency room due to a minor sacral fracture and local pain complicated by an initially undiagnosed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. This case emphasizes the importance of radiologists being attentive to subtle imaging findings of CSF leaks on computed tomography (CT) examinations, even in cases of low-energy traumas, as well as the complementary role of a dedicated magnetic resonance (MR) imaging protocol for such diagnosis.

Keywords: CSF leak; Sacral fracture.

Publication types

Case Reports