Paradoxical herniation has been referred to as the herniation of a brain that has been decompressed surgically, without any extra-axial lesion that could account for the herniation 1) 2).
It is known as a rare complication of lumbar puncture in patients with decompressive craniectomy.
Although rare, paradoxical herniation in the setting of a large craniectomy defect may occur in the absence of cerebrospinal fluid drainage 3).
This entity should be suspected whenever transtentorial herniation occurs in conjunction with direct or indirect signs of intracranial hypotension. Placing the patient in the Trendelenburg position should be attempted, because this simple maneuver may turn out to be life-saving 4).
Those treatments for lowering ICP, such as mannitol, CSF drainage, and hyperventilation, all of which follows the Monro-Kellie doctrine will exacerbate paradoxical herniation, because lowering intracranial pressure increases the pressure gradient across the craniectomy defect 5).
This phenomenon is related to the negative gradient between atmospheric and intracranial pressures, which can be exacerbated by an upright posture, CSF leakage, or dehydration 6).
Patients who have undergone CSF drainage, such as, external ventriculostomy, ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement, or lumbar puncture are more susceptible to this phenomenon, for these conditions can lower ICP states relatively than that of extra-cranial pressures. In these situations, the brain is sucked down through the tentorial incisural notch essentially and the foramen magnum potentially 7).
Not surprisingly, the pressure acting over the cerebral cortex may cause neurological deficits. Several authors have claimed that skull defects may create a siphon effect on CSF dynamics, which distorts the dura, underlying cerebral cortex, and venous return, due to scarring and direct pressure to the brain 8) 9).
Symptoms may include focal deficits, brainstem release signs, autonomic instability, changes in level of consciousness, and pupil changes 10) 11).
A 38-year-old man underwent decompressive craniectomy for severe brain swelling. He remained neurologically stable for five weeks, but then showed mental deterioration right after a lumbar puncture which was performed to rule out meningitis. A brain computed tomographic scan revealed a marked midline shift. The patient responded to the Trendelenburg position and intravenous fluids, and he achieved full neurologic recovery after successive cranioplasty 12).
A 56-year-old woman with no interesting medical history, who, after an olfactory groove meningioma surgery, presented a haemorrhage located in the surgical area with an important oedema. The patient required a second emergency surgery without any chance of conserving the cranial vault. During the post-operational period, great neurological deterioration in orthostatic position was noticed, which resolved spontaneously in decubitus. This deficit was resolved with bone replacement afterwards 13)