Diagnosis and treatment of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea following accidental traumatic anterior skull base fractures.
Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea is a serious and potentially fatal condition because of an increased risk of meningitis and brain abscess. Approximately 80% of all cases occur in patients with head injuries and craniofacial fractures. Despite technical advances in the diagnosis and management of CSF rhinorrhea caused by craniofacial injury through the introduction of MRI and endoscopic extracranial surgical approaches, difficulties remain. The authors review here the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of CSF rhinorrhea relevant exclusively to traumatic anterior skull base injuries and attempt to identify areas in which further work is needed.
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900, USA. ziu@uthscsa.edu
Mateo
M
Ziu
Jennifer Gentry
JG
Savage
David F
DF
Jimenez
D000059:Accidents; D002559:Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D020205:Skull Fracture, Basilar / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome