Clinical Improvement Despite Lack of Confirmatory Imaging

Many patients suffering from symptoms of CSF leak, such as orthostatic headache, neck pain, and nausea, were found to experience significant clinical improvements even without conforming to the diagnostic imaging criteria. A study followed 85 patients with suspected CSF leaks who received epidural patching and showed improvements in quality of life, head pain, neck pain, and fatigue. Even without positive imaging or confirming opening pressure, 54% of the patients experienced meaningful enhancements in global physical health, challenging the necessity of confirmatory diagnostic tests before treatment.