Profound Bilateral Optic Disc Edema One Month Post-Partum: A Rare Etiology (.pdf)

Intracranial subdural hematoma formation is a rare, yet potentially fatal complication of spinal anesthesia, as well as inadvertent dural puncture of various iatrogenic etiologies. The proposed pathophysiologic mechanism involves significant cerebrospinal fluid loss with resultant caudal displacement of the brain and rupture of bridging cerebral vessels. We present a case of profound bilateral optic disc edema secondary to intracranial subdural hematomas, presumably due to unintentional dural penetration during epidural anesthesia for labor.