Nontraumatic cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea as a result of pseudotumor cerebri.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that pseudotumor cerebri, also known as benign intracranial hypertension, can be an overlooked cause of spontaneous, nontraumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea.


METHODS
This study presents a literature review and 2 case reports. The medical records of 2 patients who had nontraumatic CSF rhinorrhea were reviewed.


RESULTS
The patients were diagnosed as having spontaneous, nontraumatic CSF rhinorrhea, believed to have been caused by pseudotumor cerebri, and were surgically treated. The patients are obese, middle-aged women.


CONCLUSIONS
Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea is most often the result of trauma, but it may also occur spontaneously because of nontraumatic causes in some patients. Pseudotumor cerebri can be an overlooked cause of spontaneous, nontraumatic CSF rhinorrhea. A patient with signs and symptoms of pseudotumor cerebri should be evaluated and treated, if the condition is present, to prevent complications that include irreversible visual loss and CSF rhinorrhea.
Suryadevara
Amar C
AC
Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York 13120, USA. amarsuryad@yahoo.com
Fattal
Michael
M
Woods
Charles I
CI
D002559:Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D011559:Pseudotumor Cerebri / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed