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Neurology (Expert Forum)
localized headache and fluid in brain
Answered by
Lama Chahine, MD - Neurology
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland - OH
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury.
localized headache and fluid in brain
by acleaves, May 09, 2009 08:48AM
Hi, I started having very sharp severe headaches (worst ones in my life) five days ago on right upper side of my head. Severe headache lasts about a few seconds, then turns into a dull headache that lasts for an hour or up to four hours. Yesterday I was admitted to the hospital for a day for observation while they did some blood tests and an MRI. MRI shows that there's nothing on the right side but there's fluid build up on left. I was diagnosed with migraines and given some painkillers and sent home. The doctor suspected that the fluid is there from birth, but I had CT scan of the brain last year during my DVT/PE episode and the fluid wasn't there (I forgot to tell him that).
What causes fluid in brain? Should I be concerned? I haven't had a head injury or any other problems. I've always had throbbing headaches for as long as remember whenever I got up on my feet, but no other headaches.
Thanks in advance.
What causes fluid in brain? Should I be concerned? I haven't had a head injury or any other problems. I've always had throbbing headaches for as long as remember whenever I got up on my feet, but no other headaches.
Thanks in advance.
Doctor's Answer
by Lama Chahine, MD, May 10, 2009 03:26PM
, May 10, 2009 03:26PM
Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.
Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history and review your MRI images, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is nor what the implications of your MRI findings are. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.
Normally, the fluid that bathes the brain and spine (called cerebrospinal fluid, abbreviated CSF) is located with in the brain in specific pockets of fluid called ventricles, and is also located around the brain. Sometimes, the ventricles are not symmetric, but one is larger than the other. This occurs when there was an insult to the brain, such as during birth, or even later in life due to a stroke. If this is the case, if your ventricles are not symmetric but rather one is larger than the other, then this likely has no further implications, it implies an old injury you may not be aware of and that is probably not influencing your neurologic function in any way. It is in that case likely unrelated to your headaches. If the fluid you mention above is located outside of the brain (in the subdural space) it could be the remnants of a very old insult such as a bleed (in which case the fluid would be called a hygroma), in which case there are likely no implications to that either.
I recommend you follow-up with a neurologist to better understand the findings of your MRI, and for further treatment of your headaches. CT scans do not have the same resolution as MRI, but asymmetric ventricles would have probably been evident on CT. Therefore, it's a good idea to obtain both your CT images (not the report but rather the actual images) and the MRI, and show them both to a neurologist.
Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history and review your MRI images, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is nor what the implications of your MRI findings are. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.
Normally, the fluid that bathes the brain and spine (called cerebrospinal fluid, abbreviated CSF) is located with in the brain in specific pockets of fluid called ventricles, and is also located around the brain. Sometimes, the ventricles are not symmetric, but one is larger than the other. This occurs when there was an insult to the brain, such as during birth, or even later in life due to a stroke. If this is the case, if your ventricles are not symmetric but rather one is larger than the other, then this likely has no further implications, it implies an old injury you may not be aware of and that is probably not influencing your neurologic function in any way. It is in that case likely unrelated to your headaches. If the fluid you mention above is located outside of the brain (in the subdural space) it could be the remnants of a very old insult such as a bleed (in which case the fluid would be called a hygroma), in which case there are likely no implications to that either.
I recommend you follow-up with a neurologist to better understand the findings of your MRI, and for further treatment of your headaches. CT scans do not have the same resolution as MRI, but asymmetric ventricles would have probably been evident on CT. Therefore, it's a good idea to obtain both your CT images (not the report but rather the actual images) and the MRI, and show them both to a neurologist.
Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
