Surgical treatment of cerebrospinal fluid leak

Abstract

erebrospinal fluid leakage can be divided into traumatic (including those caused by surgery) and non-traumatic. The former is more common and is the main target of surgical treatment. Traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage is often secondary to skull base fractures. Cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurs when the bones and mucous membranes of the ethmoid sinus, frontal sinus, or sphenoid sinus are damaged, and the adjacent dura mater and arachnoid mater are also ruptured. According to the different leakage sites, it can be divided into cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea, and cerebrospinal fluid skin leakage. Cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea is less common than rhinorrhea, and cerebrospinal fluid flows out of the external auditory canal from the damaged middle cranial fossa (tympanum) or posterior cranial fossa via the middle ear. Cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea may also occur after acoustic neuroma removal through the posterior fossa.