Saif Ali Khan attacked: Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan is admitted in the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on Thursday after he was attacked by an intruder at his home in Bandra in the wee hours. According to the doctors, the actor underwent surgery to remove a knife from his spine and neck. Following the surgery, the Khan was moved to the intensive care unit (ICU). The knife injury had caused “spinal fluid leak” that was fixed during the surgery.
“Perhaps in a day or two, he will be moved to the ward. The injuries were deep, but our team has managed the situation well,” Dr Uttamani said as quoted by India Today.
What is spinal fluid leakage?
A spinal fluid leak, also known as a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, occurs when there’s a tear or hole in the membrane, known as dura, that surrounds the spinal cord and brain. According to Mayo Clinic, a spinal CSF leak occurs anywhere in the spinal column. The most common symptom of a spinal CSF leak is a headache. Some CSF leaks may heal with bed rest and other conservative treatment. Many CSF leaks need a patch to cover the hole or surgery to repair the leak, Mayo Clinic revealed.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, untreated CSF leaks can lead to meningitis, a dangerous infection of the brain and spinal cord, making prompt repair crucial.
What are the symptoms of spinal fluid leakage?
According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms vary between spinal and cranial CSF leaks. The most common symptom of a spinal CSF leak is a headache. These headaches usually:
- Cause pain in the back of the head.
- Improve when lying down.
- Worsen when standing up.
- May start or worsen when coughing or straining.
- Rarely, start suddenly. When this happens, it is called a “thunderclap” headache.
Other symptoms of spinal CSF leaks may include:
- Neck or shoulder pain.
- Ringing in the ears.
- Changes in hearing.
- Dizziness.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Changes in vision.
- Changes in behavior or ability to think clearly.
What are the risk factors of spinal fluid leakage?
Risk factors for spinal CSF leaks include:
- Having a previous surgery or procedure on or around the spine.
- Connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which often also cause joint hypermobility and dislocations.
Risk factors for cranial CSF leaks include:
- Having a previous surgery on or around the skull.
- Obesity.
- Obstructive sleep apnea.
- Head trauma.
- Tumor at the skull base.
- Irregularities of the skull base or inner ear.
What happens when spinal fluid leakage is left untreated?
An untreated spinal CSF leaks may lead to subdural hematomas, or bleeding on the surface of the brain.
How spinal fluid leakage is treated?
Some CSF leaks improve with bed rest alone, but most need treatment. According to Mayo Clinic, treatments for spinal CSF leaks may include:
- Epidural blood patch
- Fibrin sealant
- Surgery
- Trans-venous embolisation