Kostas N Fountas1, Eftychia Z Kapsalaki, Kim W Johnston. 1. Department of Neurosurgery, The Medical Center of Central Georgia, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA, USA. knfountasmd@excite.com
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN: A case of cerebrospinal fistula secondary to a dural tear during anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. OBJECTIVES: To report a quite rare complication associated with anterior cervical discectomy and remind the spinal surgeons that this infrequent complication can easily become a very serious one. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Anterior cervical discectomy represents one of the most commonly performed spinal procedures. Of the associated complications, accidental dural tear can lead to the development of a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula. Although this complication has been mentioned in several clinical series, the body of knowledge regarding incidence and appropriate treatment is definitely limited. METHODS: After undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for an extruded disc at the C4-C5 level, a CSF fistula developed in a 37-year-old patient as a result of a dural tear. The patient underwent a second procedure for surgical wound revision, meticulous dural opening coverage, and insertion of a lumbar drain for draining CSF for 5 days. RESULTS: The patient was hospitalized for 5 days and then discharged with no evidence of CSF leakage. His follow-up of 9 months revealed complete resolution of his preoperative symptomatology and no other problems associated with the complication of the CSF fistula. CONCLUSION: Early identification of this complication and aggressive treatment with insertion of lumbar drain, CSF drainage for 4-5 days, and coverage of the dural tear with fibrin sealant or autologous fascia graft can prevent the development of any consequences.
STUDY DESIGN: A case of cerebrospinal fistula secondary to a dural tear during anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. OBJECTIVES: To report a quite rare complication associated with anterior cervical discectomy and remind the spinal surgeons that this infrequent complication can easily become a very serious one. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Anterior cervical discectomy represents one of the most commonly performed spinal procedures. Of the associated complications, accidental dural tear can lead to the development of a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula. Although this complication has been mentioned in several clinical series, the body of knowledge regarding incidence and appropriate treatment is definitely limited. METHODS: After undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for an extruded disc at the C4-C5 level, a CSF fistula developed in a 37-year-old patient as a result of a dural tear. The patient underwent a second procedure for surgical wound revision, meticulous dural opening coverage, and insertion of a lumbar drain for draining CSF for 5 days. RESULTS: The patient was hospitalized for 5 days and then discharged with no evidence of CSF leakage. His follow-up of 9 months revealed complete resolution of his preoperative symptomatology and no other problems associated with the complication of the CSF fistula. CONCLUSION: Early identification of this complication and aggressive treatment with insertion of lumbar drain, CSF drainage for 4-5 days, and coverage of the dural tear with fibrin sealant or autologous fascia graft can prevent the development of any consequences.
Authors: Kevin R O'Neill; Michael G Fehlings; Thomas E Mroz; Zachary A Smith; Wellington K Hsu; Adam S Kanter; Michael P Steinmetz; Paul M Arnold; Praveen V Mummaneni; Dean Chou; Ahmad Nassr; Sheeraz A Qureshi; Samuel K Cho; Evan O Baird; Justin S Smith; Christopher Shaffrey; Chadi A Tannoury; Tony Tannoury; Ziya L Gokaslan; Jeffrey L Gum; Robert A Hart; Robert E Isaacs; Rick C Sasso; David B Bumpass; Mohamad Bydon; Mark Corriveau; Anthony F De Giacomo; Adeeb Derakhshan; Bruce C Jobse; Daniel Lubelski; Sungho Lee; Eric M Massicotte; Jonathan R Pace; Gabriel A Smith; Khoi D Than; K Daniel Riew Journal: Global Spine J Date: 2017-04-01
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