Severe, symptomatic, self-limited unilateral DBS lead edema following bilateral subthalamic nucleus implantation: Case report and review of the literature

Introduction: Symptomatic edema around a deep-brain stimulation (DBS) lead is a rare complication of DBS surgery. Although this phenomenon is not fully understood, clinical presentation of DBS lead edema can be severe enough to prompt treatment. There is a paucity of literature on the clinical course and treatment of DBS lead edema. Case Report: We present a 65-year-old man with Parkinson disease who developed unilateral DBS lead edema after bilateral subthalamic nucleus lead placement. Infectious, inflammatory, and ischemic causes were thoroughly investigated and ruled out. Clinical symptoms and radiographic changes all returned to normal with supportive care alone. Conclusions: Lead edema is a rare complication after DBS surgery. It is important to recognize the benign clinical course of DBS lead edema to counsel patients and avoid unnecessary treatment such as hardware removal.