Sacral CSF Leaks: An Underrecognized Cause of Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension

In this educational webinar, Dr. Andrew Callen discusses sacral CSF leaks as an underrecognized cause of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). The presentation explores clinical clues, imaging challenges, sacral dural tears, Tarlov cysts, diagnostic considerations, and treatment outcomes, followed by a discussion moderated by Dr. Ian Carroll. This webinar is intended for educational purposes only and should not replace medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. Presented by Spinal CSF Leak Canada Speaker: Dr. Andrew L Callen is an Associate Professor of Radiology and Neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Callen is the founder and Director of the CU CSF Leak Program, the first multidisciplinary center in Colorado dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of CSF leaks. Dr. Callen has published extensively, including over 70 manuscripts, with more than 40 publications focusing on CSF dynamics and spinal CSF leaks. He is also the inventor of a novel patient positioning device for dynamic CT myelography, which enhances diagnostic accuracy for CSF leaks. In addition to his research, Dr. Callen is a founding member of the International Spinal CSF Leak Society and serves on the medical advisory boards for the U.S. and Canadian Spinal CSF Leak Foundations. He is the Course Director of the annual Spinal CSF Leak: Bridging the Gap conference, a unique event that integrates patient narratives with expert insights to drive innovation in CSF leak diagnosis and treatment. Moderator: Dr. Ian Carroll is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Chief, Stanford CSF Leak Headache Program , Stanford University School of Medicine, San Fransisco. In 2015 Dr. Carroll collaborated With Stanford's Neuroradiology and Neurology Headache divisions to create the Stanford CSF Leak Headache Program after his daughter suffered through an initially-undiagnosed CSF leak. This experience left him with a passion for helping patients experiencing CSF leaks around the world. He is board-certified in four different specialties: Headache Medicine by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties; Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Addiction Medicine; Pain Medicine by the American Board of Anesthesiology; and Anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology. His primary focus is on spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks. He has spoken at numerous national meetings on CSF leaks, management of the pain from nerve injuries, and factors influencing opioid cessation. He has conducted visiting professorships at Johns Hopkins University, Vanderbilt University, Yale University, University of California at Davis Medical Center, and others. Dr. Carroll graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University, and then graduated with an M.D. from Columbia University. He was a Research Fellow at the Experimental Immunology Branch at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda Maryland. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine, residency in Anesthesiology, fellowship in Pain Medicine, and was elected Chief Resident of Anesthesiology from 2001-2002 at Stanford University Medical Center. He joined Stanford's Department of Anesthesiology as a primary teaching and research faculty in the Pain Management clinic in 2004. Dr. Carroll completed Stanford's two-year Clinical Research training program earning a M.S. degree in clinical epidemiology from Stanford in 2006. He has published over 50 original articles including research funded by the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER); the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA); and the Stanford Institute for Neuro-Innovation & Translational Neurosciences (SINTN). In addition to his clinical and research responsibilities, Dr. Carroll helps select and train Stanford Anesthesia residents, Pain Management Fellows and Neurology Headache Fellows. Dr. Carroll is an active member of the Medical Advisory Board for Spinal CSF Leak Canada and the American Spinal CSF Leak Foundation. He also serves as Consultant for the Scientific Committee of Spinal CSF Leak Canada. #SpinalCSFLeak #SIH #CSFLeak #SpontaneousIntracranialHypotension #SacralCSFLeak #TarlovCysts