title: Surgical management of traumatic cerebrospinal fluid fistulas with associated lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Head trauma is associated with a significant risk of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, it was aimed to report twenty-two cases subjected to operative intervention for otorrhea, rhinorrhea and oculorrhea with associated traumatic lesions. Majority of the cases had moderate to severe head trauma with a Glascow Coma Scale (GCS) score under 14. The study group included eleven cases with depression fractures, 6 with epidural hematomas and 4 with tension pneumocephalus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rhinorrhea was the most common presenting symptom encountered in fifteen cases; whereas, otorrhea was prominent in 7 and oculorrhea in 2 cases. Two patients having rhinorrhea also had oculorrhea and otorrhea. The patients were operated with unilateral approaches in twelve and bifrontal approaches in ten of the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early surgical intervention should be performed in cases presenting with CSF fistula and associated traumatic lesions without considering conservative management to provide an effective control of associated complications due to CSF fistulas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alagöz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ergün
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dağlıoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Kutahya Evliya Celebi Training and Research Hospital, Kutahya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali Erdem
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Yıldırım
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Yunus Emre State Hospital, Eskisehir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özhan Merzuk
authors.initials: ÖM
authors.lastname: Uçkun
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Denizhan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Divanlıoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Fatma Hatun Private Hostpital, Bolu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ömer
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalgıç
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Kutahya Evliya Celebi Training and Research Hospital, Kutahya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ösün
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara. Turkey.
authors.forename: Fevzi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara. Turkey.
authors.forename: Müge
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sönmez
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Deniz
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Belen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002559:Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult