Semi-quantiative RI cisternographic patterns in patients with chronic headache. A resemblance to those of intracranial hypotension syndrome

Semi-quantitative radionuclide cisternography was performed to evaluate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage for patients with long-lasting headache and/or neck pain or refractory dizziness which appeared to be related to posture as well as patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). Radioactivity in the whole CSF space was counted and was plotted against time. SIH cases showed rapid decrease of radioactivity in the CSF space. Chronic headache patients were divided into Group I (rapid decrease of activity similarly to those in patients with SIH, to less than 80% at 5 h and 40% at 24 h), Group II (gradual decrease to less than 40% at 24 h), and Group III (activity remained more than 80% at 5 h and 40% at 24 h). Of 16 patients in Group I, epidural blood patch was attempted in 14, and improvement of symptoms was obtained in 10. In 3 patients who underwent post-treatment RI study, tracer kinetics was normalized. These findings may indicate that some of patients with chronic headache actually have CSF leakage that can be treated with epidural blood patch. (author)