INTRODUCTION:
Spinal anesthesia is commonly used anesthesia during obstetric procedures. Although complications related to spinal anesthesia are generally benign, about 0.05% of complications are critical1,2. Post-dural puncture headache (PDPH ) and hypotension are the most common complication of spinal anesthesia3.
Intracranial subdural hematoma (ISH) is one of the rare but fatal complications of spinal anesthesia 1. ISH following spinal anesthesia is reported to be more common in the obstetric population. The incidence rate of ISH following neuraxial anesthesia in the obstetric population is 0.0002% 2.
The most common presentation of intracranial subdural hematoma is headache (74–91%) 2,4. When headache is the presenting complaint in the puerperal period, ISH is rarely presumed, leading to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment. Although an infrequent complication, early diagnosis of this disease manifested by headache is crucial during the post-partum period to avoid potentially fatal complications that will impact both mother and the baby.
This study aims to report a rare case of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) following lower segment cesarean section (LSCS) delivery after spinal anesthesia and discuss the measures we can take for early diagnosis and prevention of potentially fatal complications.