Chronic headaches related to post-dural puncture headaches: a scoping review

Post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) is a well-recognised complication of neuraxial procedures. Although it is generally considered to be self-limiting, there is mounting evidence suggesting an association between PDPH and chronic head-aches. In this review, chronic headache after dural puncture was defined as the reporting of persistent headaches more than 1 month after the index dural puncture. This scoping review aims to: (1) review the relationship between PDPH and chronic headaches, (2) explore the pathophysiology of chronic headache arising from a dural puncture, and (3) make recommendations about the follow-up and treatment of these patients. The pooled relative risk of chronic headache from 15 863 patients reported in 12 cohort studies in patients with an accidental dural puncture compared with those without accidental dural puncture were 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-2.9), 2.5 (95% CI, 2.0-3.2), and 3.6 (95% CI, 1.9-7.1) at 2, 6, and 12 months, respectively. We also identified 20 case reports of 49 patients who developed chronic headache after a dural puncture. Epidural blood patch and fibrin glue injection and surgery have been used to treat chronic postural headaches. Overall, the level of evidence is low for all reported outcomes (aetiology, intervention and outcome) by virtue of the type of studies available (cohort and case reports) and significant risk of bias in the cohort studies. Based on findings from this review, we recommend that the risk of chronic headache is included in the informed consent discussion for all neuraxial procedures. Patients with PDPH should be closely followed up after hospital discharge.

Automated summary

This review examines the relationship between post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) and chronic headaches, explores the pathophysiology of chronic headache after a dural puncture, and makes recommendations for follow-up and treatment. The evidence suggests that patients with accidental dural puncture have a higher risk of developing chronic headache, and suggest including the risk of chronic headache in informed consent discussions for neuraxial procedures. Patients with PDPH should receive close follow-up after discharge.