10 Causes of Occipital Neuralgia
Cause #3: Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak
A cerebrospinal fluid leak occurs when the cerebrospinal fluid leaks out of holes or tears in the dura mater. It can be classified according to the cause of the leak such as surgery, physical trauma, iatrogenic, or spontaneous. Cerebrospinal fluid leaks can be associated with some disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Marfan Syndrome.
Symptoms include an excruciatingly painful and fast-onset headache. Other associated symptoms include neck pain, dizziness, photophobia, tinnitus, gait disturbances, brain fog, visual issues, nausea, metallic taste in the mouth, and fluid dripping from the ears or nose. Left untreated, it can result in death or coma. Cerebrospinal fluid leak is a rare cause of occipital neuralgia.
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