A unifying hypothesis for a patient with superficial siderosis, low-pressure headache, intraspinal cyst, back pain, and prominent vascularity

A source of bleeding is often not evident during the evaluation of patients with superficial siderosis of the CNS despite extensive imaging. An intraspinal fluid-filled collection of variable dimensions is frequently observed on spine MR imaging in patients with idiopathic superficial siderosis. A similar finding has also been reported in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypotension. The authors report on a patient with superficial siderosis and a longitudinally extensive intraspinal fluid-filled collection secondary to a dural tear. The patient had a history of low-pressure headaches. His spine MR imaging and spine CT suggested the possibility of an underlying vascular malformation, but none was found on angiography. Repair of the dural tear resulted in resolution of the intraspinal fluid collection and CSF abnormalities. The significance of the association between superficial siderosis and idiopathic intracranial hypotension, and potential therapeutic and pathophysiological implications, are the subject of this report. (DOI: 10.3171/2009.10.JNS091125)