Surgical Management of Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea

Abstract

munication of the subarachnoid space with the paranasal sinuses, placing patients at risk of ascending meningitis and pneumocephalus.1 The classification of CSF rhinorrhea is commonly divided into 2 categories: traumatic and nontraumatic (spontaneous).2,3 Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (sCSF) leaks of the skull base are thought to be primarily caused by increased intracranial pressures (ICPs) with a strong association with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).4,5 IIH and sCSF leaks share similar risk factors, occurring most commonly in obese, middle-aged female populations. However, in rarer instances, sCSF leaks may be secondary to hydrocephalus and intracranial neoplasms.1,2 sCSF leaks are associated with higher rates of repair failure, and their refractory nature is thought to be directly related to increased ICPs.5,6 This report primarily focuses on sCSF rhinorrhea in context of IIH.