Traumatic, spontaneous and postoperative CSF rhinorrhea

Abstract

CSF fistulas are a major complication of head injury but also occur spontaneously or symptomatically in connection with tumours of the skull base, empty sella syndrome, ethmoidal encephalomyelocele, intracranial hypertension or postoperatively in connection with operations on skull base tumours or ENT operations. Their main risk is the possibility of meningitis. The main clinical symptom is CSF leakage from the nose, but meningitis may be the first manifestation. Isotope cisternography and metrizamide CT cisternography are the most important methods for precise localization, sometimes also for verification of a suspected fistula. Most traumatic CSF fistulas of the frontal and ethmoidal region have to be treated operatively. The method of choice is the transfrontal approach and the closure of the fistula opening using a pedicled pericranial flap or fascia lata graft. Most sphenoidal fistulas have to be treated by packing the sphenoidal sinus with muscle. The treatment methods of the rare spontaneous and symptomatic CSF fistulas are also described. The results of operative treatment are satisfactory. About 6% recurrences, which as a rule can be cured by reoperation, and a mortality rate of about 1-3% seem to be an acceptable price for prevention of an otherwise unavoidable and oftenly deadly meningitis. Future efforts are necessary to improve the operative technique in order to reduce the incidence of anosmia. Our descriptions and advice are based not only on literature reports but also on our own experiences with a combined material of 237 cases operated on for rhinorrhea.