[A case of intracranial subdural hematoma after thoracic epidural anesthesia].

Intracranial subdural hematoma (SDH) occurred in a 58-year-old female after laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy under general and thoracic epidural anesthesia. On postoperative day 2, she complained of headache in sitting position, but there were no remarkable neurological defect and nausea. On postoperative day 5, her headache subsided and she could walk by herself. But on postoperative day 10, she felt heavy-headed again, and complained sensory abnormality of her right leg. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed small acute subdural hematoma in bilateral parietal regions with no mass effect. She was managed conservatively with bed rest and intravenous fluids. Her condition improved and was discharged on postoperative day 17 without subsequent complications. SDH after epidural anesthesia is rare, but diagnosis in early stage has a decisive influence on its prognosis. It is crucial to exclude the possibility of SDH and observe closely if the patient complains of severe headache or another unexplained symptom only with postdural puncture headache.