Diagnosis and treatment of cerebrospinal rhinorrhea: A clinical analysis of 28 cases

Objective To study the diagnosis and surgical treatment of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea. Methods Clinical data about 28 CSF rhinorrhea patients (18 males and 10 females) aged 18-59 years with a disease course of 7 days-2 years, admitted to Weifang and Liaocheng People's Hospitals from 2005 to 2010, were retrospectively analyzed.Of the 28 patients, 20 were diagnosed with traumatic CSF leakage, 6 were diagnosed with spontaneous CSF leakage, and 2 were diagnosed with iatrogenic leakage.Their diagnoses were established by CT/MRI and nasal endoscopy in combination with biochemical testing.CSF rhinorrhea was repaired with nasal septum mucosa in 18 patients, with temporal fascia in 8 patients and with pedicle periosteal flap in 2 patients. Results Of the 28 patients with their CSF rhinorrhea successfully repaired under nasal endoscope, 26 were cured after the first repair and 2 underwent a second repair.The auditory was signif icantly reduced after repair in 2 patients, which was improved in 1 patient and did not improve in the other after treatment.No complications such as nasal obstruction and dry nasal cavity were observed.The patients were followed up for 6-36 months during which no relapse occurred. Conclusion The accurate diagnosis and correct selection of repair procedure and materials are the keys to the successful repair of CSF rhinorrhea.