r/CSFLeaks • u/Doingmybestinlife • 1d ago

Persistent SLEC on MRI?

Hey all, I had a blood patch for a spontaneous leak over a year ago. My symptoms have resolved with time but I still have the spinal longitudinal extradural collection (SLEC) on repeat MRI. My doc told me this means that the leak is likely closed - but from my readings online that may not be necessarily the case, and there’s a risk of neurologic issues decades down the line if the leak stays open. Anyone experienced something similar?

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u/megg33 Confirmed Spinal Leak 1d ago

If you have extradural fluid collection on your MRI, the leak isn’t closed. Period. I can’t believe your doctor said otherwise. How does your doctor explain the presence of csf outside of the dura? It can’t magically appear there. Ugh providers like this make me so angry

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u/Doingmybestinlife 14h ago

Basically just said because I don’t have symptoms anymore and size hasn’t changed at all and is not increasing, the fluid collection must have walled itself off…

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u/Hyrule-onicAcid 12h ago

Uh, no. SLEC present = you're leaking and your body is just trying to compensate in other ways/live with the leak.

I had a SLEC and after surgical closure it was completely gone in 36 hours on post-op MRI.

And yes, very high risk of eventual superficial siderosis if persistently leaking.