Navi Mumbai Medical Breakthrough: 50-Year-Old Taloja Man’s Rare CSF Leak Treated Without Brain Surgery At Kharghar Hospital

Navi Mumbai, August 12, 2026: A 50-year-old Taloja resident who had been suffering from debilitating headaches for over a month was successfully treated for a rare cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak without undergoing brain surgery at a hospital in Kharghar.

The patient had initially been diagnosed with bilateral subdural haematoma at another hospital and advised surgery, but a second opinion led doctors to identify the underlying CSF leak and treat it with a minimally invasive epidural blood patch.

The patient, Manoj Gupta, had initially experienced severe headaches that appeared when he stood or sat upright and subsided when he lay down. As the condition progressed, the headache became persistent, with pain intensity reaching 8–9 on a scale of 10 and significantly affecting his daily activities.

Rare Condition Identified

Doctors at Medicover suspected Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension (SIH), a rare condition caused by leakage of cerebrospinal fluid. Further investigations, including CSF pressure manometry, showed abnormally low CSF pressure, while CT cisternography located the leak in the cervical region of the spine.

Dr Pawan Ojha, Consultant Neurologist and Director, Neurosciences (Maharashtra), and Dr Suranjana Basak, Consultant Neurologist, led the patient’s evaluation and treatment. According to Dr Ojha, the bilateral subdural haematoma was a secondary consequence of the CSF leak rather than the primary condition.

“When the patient came to us for a second opinion after being advised brain surgery elsewhere, the characteristic pattern of his headache raised suspicion of Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension caused by a CSF leak. Further investigations confirmed abnormally low CSF pressure and identified the leak in the cervical region. We therefore decided to treat the underlying CSF leak rather than operate on the subdural haematoma,” said Dr Ojha.

Minimally Invasive Treatment

The patient underwent an epidural blood patch, a minimally invasive procedure in which a small amount of the patient’s own blood is introduced into the epidural space to seal the CSF leak. Dr Basak said the procedure was completed without complications.

“Within a few hours, the patient’s headache improved remarkably, and by the following day his pain score had reduced from 8–9 to 1–2. Over the next few days, the headache disappeared completely, while follow-up imaging showed that the subdural haematoma was gradually shrinking,” said Dr Basak.

Doctors Highlight Warning Signs

Doctors said the case highlights the importance of recognising positional headaches, particularly headaches that worsen while standing or sitting and improve on lying down. Such symptoms can sometimes indicate a CSF leak and may be mistaken for more common headache disorders.

Dr Ojha said delayed diagnosis of a CSF leak can result in chronic headaches, recurrent subdural haematoma and other neurological complications.

He advised patients recovering from a CSF leak to remain adequately hydrated, avoid heavy lifting, strenuous exercise and frequent bending, and follow medical advice during recovery.

Gupta said he was initially frightened after being advised brain surgery. “Coming to Medicover Hospital for a second opinion turned out to be the best decision. The doctors identified the real cause of my problem and treated me without surgery. Within a day, I felt a huge difference, and today I am completely free from the headache,” he said.

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Sandeep Joshi, Centre Head, Medicover Hospital, Kharghar, said the case demonstrated the importance of detailed clinical assessment and advanced diagnostics in identifying rare neurological conditions.

He said the hospital’s approach was focused on identifying and treating the underlying cause rather than treating imaging findings alone.

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