title: Cerebrospinal fistulas in children.
abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid leaks can be difficult management problems. Little information has been published about handling these cases in the pediatric population. A review of cases over the past 10 years at Boston Children's Hospital was undertaken to identify any prognostic factors and therapeutic recommendations. Twenty-seven patients were identified. While most patients responded to conservative therapy, those with leaks that persisted longer than 8 days required some type of operative closure. Severity of injury had little correlation with the occurrence of a leak. The findings in this study indicate that most pediatric cases can be managed on a conservative basis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: McGill
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Healy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001900:Boston / Q000453:epidemiology; D002559:Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000293:injuries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000150:complications; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents