Repair Of Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea Research Articles

Factors That Predict Recurrence Following Endoscopic Repair of Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea

BackgroundThe endoscopic approach has gained popularity in CSF rhinorrhea repair with high success rates, yet recurrence is frequent. In this report, we analyze our cases to determine the outcomes of endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea and the effect of several perioperative factors on the success of repair. MethodsA retrospective review of 50 patients who underwent endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea between January 2013 and July 2023 was performed, collecting details of presentation, surgery, and postoperative period. ResultsThe most frequent etiology was non-traumatic CSF rhinorrhea (76%) wherein the defect was most commonly located at the left cribriform plate, followed by traumatic CSF rhinorrhea (24%) wherein sphenoid defects were most frequent. Traumatic CSF rhinorrhea was more common among males and was significantly associated with anosmia. Success rate at first attempt of repair was 84%. Three patients (6%) had persistent CSF rhinorrhea, and 5 patients (10%) developed recurrence of CSF rhinorrhea. Overall, 7 patients required resurgery, with success rate after 2nd surgery of 100%. The use of 3-layered repair with fat, fascia lata and mucosal flap was protective against failure of repair, whereas bilateral defects and duration of complaints greater than 1 year were significantly associated with failure of repair. The use of lumbar drain did not demonstrate a difference in success rate of repair. ConclusionEndoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea appears to be safe and effective when performed with accurate localization of the site of the lesion and multi-layered repair. Potential predictors of recurrence include bilateral and long-standing defects.

Factors Affecting Success Rates in Endoscopic Repair of CSF Rhinorrhea.

Our aim in this study is to assess the effect of factors such as age, etiology, defect size, application of lumbar drainage and surgical technique on Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) fistula repair success rates. The Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system of our clinic was retrospectively reviewed for cases that were operated between 2006 and 2020 for CSF fistula originating from anterior skull base with endoscopic transnasal technique. A total of 35 patients were included in the study. Patients were grouped according to the number of layers used in repair (two, three or four-layered reconstruction) and defect size (smaller than 5 mm, 5 to 10 mm and larger than 10mm), etiology, location of the defect and application of lumbar drainage as LD (+) and LD (-). Complications and CSF leak recurrence were compared between groups. Recurrence rates in patients who had 2 layered reconstructions were significantly higher compared to patients who had 3 or 4 layered reconstructions (p=0.049). The recurrence rate in LD (+) group (41.7%) was significantly lower compared to LD (-) group (4.3%) (p=0.012). There were no significant difference in recurrence rates between groups in terms of age, defect size, defect location and etiology. In endoscopic transnasal repair of anterior skull base-derived bos fistulas, planning the reconstruction at least 3 times and applying lumbar CSF drainage increases the success rates.

Trans-Nasal Endoscopic Repair of CSF Rhinorrhea: An Institutional Experience.

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea results from breakdown in the integrity of structures separating the subarachnoid space and nasal cavity, namely subarachnoid space and dura mater, the bony skull base and periostea alongside the upper aerodigestive tract mucosa. Endoscopic repair is considered the treatment of choice for CSF rhinorrhea. Our aim of study was to analyze the etiopathogenesis and outcomes of treatment. A retrospective study review of patients treated with endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea at tertiary care hospital in ENT Department Benazir Bhutto hospital Rawalpindi from august 2013 to September 2017 identified 25 patients. Majority of them were male. The defects were closed in three layers using fat, fascia lata and nasal mucosa along with fibrin sealant in majority of patients. Pre operatively subarachnoid drain was placed in all patients. Patients were followed up to 3 months. Forty-four patients underwent endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea. The age group ranged from 16 to 55 years. Of the total of 44 patients 26 (59%) were males and 18(41%) females. The mean age of the patients in our study was 32.8 ± 9.7. Post trauma CSF leak was seen up to 52.3% of the patients. The most common site of leakage was identified Cribriform plate area. Our success rate of endoscopic repair was 88.6%. The most commonly observed complication was meningitis that was observed in 2 (4.5%) of the patients that too were managed conservatively. Accurate localization of site of leakage appears to be essential for successful endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea. In our study cribriform plate area was commonly observed area of CSF leak. In our study, the success rate was 88.6% and low complication rate 4.5%.

Predictors of failure of recurrent spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea repair: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundTo identify and predict risk factors associated with recurrent spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea, a cohort study included a total of 37 adult patients with spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea were analyzed.ResultsOver a 2-year period, 37 patients of spontaneous CSF leak with exclusion of other etiologies (traumatic, congenital) were enrolled: primary (non-recurrent) (n = 20) and secondary (recurrent) (n = 17), where 83.8% were females with an average body mass index (BMI) of 36.4 kg/m2. Associated symptoms of high intracranial pressure (ICP) namely, blurred vision and unsteadiness (P-value = 0.006 and 0.01, respectively), multiparity (92.3%), and failure to localize the defect (17.6%) contributed to patients having more recurrence. Although the cribriform plate was detected frequently (n = 29.4%), they were associated with lower recurrence compared to lateral recess of sphenoid (66.6% vs 20%).ConclusionDirect endoscopic visualization and repair of skull base defects achieve a high success rate, but failure is still a possibility especially in spontaneous etiology of leaks. In a multiparous female, with high CSF pressure, lateral sphenoid recess, large size, or unidentified defect, the incidence of recurrence is much higher.Level of evidence4

Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea: a novel approach

Background: This study aimed to describe the use of nasal endoscopic technique in the management of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea repair. Over the last decade, endoscopic surgery has established itself as the most widely used technique for the repair of CSF leak. Methods: 20 patients diagnosed with CSF rhinorrhea undergoing endoscopic CSF rhinorrhea repair were included in this study. To confirm the diagnosis beta-2 transferrin test was done. Accurate localization of site of lesion using CT cisternography was done. Results: Spontaneous onset of CSF rhinnorhea was noted in 75% of patients. The most common cause of CSF rhinorrhea in our study was spontaneous and the second most common cause was post traumatic. Almost 45% of patients presented with headache as primary complaint, 30% with only CSF leak, 20% with nasal obstruction and rest 5% with hyposmia. Conclusions: Multilayered closure of the dural defect was done. It can be concluded that middle aged people presented as CSF rhinorrhea with female predominance and there was high success rate of endoscopic CSF rhinorrhea repair with low morbidity.

A CASE SERIES ON MANAGEMENT OF SPONTANEOUS CEREBROSPINAL FLUID RHINORRHEA

Introduction: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is defined as leakage of cerebrospinal fluid that occurs from a direct communication between the CSF-containing subarachnoid space and the paranasal sinuses. Non traumatic or spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea is very rare and reported to have occurred in only 4% of the CSF leak cases. Materials and Methods: A retrospective hospital-based study was conducted in a tertiary care centre on seven cases of spontaneous CSF Rhinorrhea. Observation and Results: Among seven cases, five patients were of age less than 45 years and two patients were more than 45 years old. All subjects were females and were diagnosed with spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea. CT paranasal sinuses and CT Cisternogram were the most common imaging modalities used for diagnosis in all patients. All patients underwent Transnasal endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea. Conclusion: Transnasal endoscopic repair of the defect gives a successful outcome following failure of the conservative management in spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea.

Endoscopic Repair of CSF Rhinorrhea: Our Experience at a Tertiary Centre.

Spontaneous or post-traumatic CSF (cerebrospinal-fluid) rhinorrhea occurs when there is a skull-base defect. In our study, we tried endoscopic approach, exclusively as surgical modality. To study feasibility of trans-nasal endoscopic approach for repair of skull-base defects and success rates at each anatomical subsite, with complications. Patients, who underwent endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea between 2016 and 2019 were recruited into study. Details of investigative work-up, aetiology, surgery done, site of leak, number of surgical procedures done, post-operative complications and their management, success rate for each anatomical sub-site, was retrieved retrospectively and analyzed. All patients were initially managed with conservative measures before taking up for surgery. Eighteen-patients (male-11, female-7, mean age-40.3years) with CSF rhinorrhea {spontaneous-5(27.7%), traumatic-13(62.3%)} were found. Sites of leak were cribriform-plate (CP), fovea-ethmoidalis (FE) and posterior-table of frontal-sinus (FS) in 8(44.4%), 5(27.7%) and 5(27.7%) respectively. Twelve (66.6%) patients had no postoperative complications. No patients with defects in CP had post-operative complication. Two (11.1%) patients with FS defect had meningitis, one (5.5%) patient with FS defect developed pneumocephalus. One (5.5%) patient developed frontal sinusitis at end of 4-months. Two (11.1%) patients, each with defects in FE and FS needed a revision repair on postoperative day 0 and 90-till date, none of the patients have any delayed procedure related complications or recurrences. Endoscopic repair of CSF leaks is the norm of the current day due to its minimally invasive nature. However, endoscopic repair of leaks through the frontal sinus were challenging and was associated with a high rate of complications.

Superiorly Based Middle Turbinate Flap for Repair of Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea: A Cadaveric Feasibility Study and Case Series.

Objectives Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks of the anterior cranial base are frequently repaired with endonasal, multilayered reconstructions. Vascularized tissue flaps are superior to free mucosal grafts and biomaterials in many cases. Limitations of previously described flaps include reach, rotation, pedicle availability, and postoperative sinonasal morbidity. The objective of this study is to describe the superiorly based middle turbinate flap, a novel vascularized mucosal reconstruction option, and to present a case series demonstrating flap utility. Design Cadaveric feasibility study with technical description and illustrative case series. Setting Tertiary medical center. Participants Three silicone-injected cadaveric specimens (6 sides); 7 patients with CSF rhinorrhea from bony dehiscence of the anterior cranial fossa repaired with a superiorly based middle turbinate flap. Outcome Measures Cadaveric feasibility, in vivo repair outcomes, sinonasal symptoms, and postoperative healing. Results Cadaveric dissection demonstrated a consistent vascular plexus arising from the anterior and posterior ethmoid arteries, originating at the superior attachment of the middle turbinate and traveling inferiorly to supply the mucosa of the middle turbinate. Mean surface area of the flap was 776.67 ± 114.60 mm 2 . The clinical series of 7 patients involved leaks around the cribriform plate and fovea ethmoidalis. There were no instances of repair failure. All cases showed rapid and complete remucosalization without significant sinonasal morbidity. Conclusion The superiorly based middle turbinate flap is a reliable, versatile, and effective option for a vascularized mucosal flap onlay that can be used in anterior skull base reconstruction. This flap is particularly useful in the repair of defects involving the cribriform plate and fovea ethmoidalis.

The application of pedicled middle turbinate mucosal flap in transnasal endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea

Objective:To investigate the application and efficacy of pedicled middle turbinate mucosal flap in transnasal endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. Methods:15 patients with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea were retrospectively analyzed，including 13 patients with simple cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea （86.7%） and 2 patients with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea with meningoencephalocele （13.3%）. According to the location of the fistula, the pedicled middle turbinate mucosal flap under nasal endoscopy was used to repair cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, in which 5 cases （33.3%） had leakage at the top of the sieve and 8 cases （53.3%） had leakage at the sieve plate. Two cases had leakage at the lateral racess of sphenoid sinus. Results:All cases of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea were repaired successful and the mucosa epithelialized well in the operative area. There was no recurrence of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea or other complications during the follow-up period of 4-24 months （average 13 months）. Conclusion:The pedicled middle turbinate mucosal flap has a high success rate for repairing cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, and the nasal cavity damage is small, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Endoscopic Repair of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Rhinorrhea with Multilayer Grafts

Introduction: Endoscopic repair of Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea has been the most popular and the most accepted among the Otorhinolaryngologists. The advancement in the endoscopes enable surgeons to manage cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea adequately with good result.
 Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of endoscopic CSF rhinorrhea repair with multilayer grafts. Outcome was identified in terms of postoperative complications like infection (mainly meningitis), nasal bleeding, graft failure and CSF leak, revision surgery.
 Methodology: A retrospective prospective study was conducted in 21 patients who had undergone endoscopic CSF rhinorrhea repair with use of multilayer grafts in a period of January 2016 to December 2018 in Department of ENT and Head and Neck Surgery in MAA ENT HOSPITAL, HYDERABAD, INDIA. All the patients were diagnosed according to history, clinical examination, diagnostic nasal endoscopy, CSF fluid analysis and radiological investigation. The materials used for the repair of CSF rhinorrhea were surgicel, temporalis fascia, conchal chondroperichrondrium, middle turbinate free mucoperiosteum graft, thigh fat and fascia lata. The follow up period of patients range from 14-44 months. The outcome of endoscopic CSF repair with use of multilayer grafts was evaluated by electronic records regarding recurrence of CSF rhinorrhea post-surgery, hospital admission, revision surgery and digital record of rigid endoscopic findings for the status of graft uptake and CSF leak.
 Results: In all patients, CSF leak was successfully repaired with use of multilayer grafts in first attempt without any complication. There was female predominance with male to female ratio of 1:6.The mean age of presentation was 43.09years. All 21 patients were presented with spontaneous CSF leak with unknown cause. In 21 patients only one patient presented with bilateral cerebrospinal fluid leak. Cribri form plate was the commonest site of defect in which defect medial to middle turbinate was the commonest followed by ethmoid roof and lateral wall of sphenoid. None of the patients developed meningitis after surgery. None of the patients required lumbar drain. None of the patients presented with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea postoperatively.
 Conclusions: Endoscopic repair of Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea with the use of multilayer grafts is the safer and effective method with good outcome.

Retrospective Analysis of Transnasal Endoscopic CSF Rhinorrhea Repair in a Tertiary Care Centre.

To analyse the outcome of transnasal endoscopic repair of CSF Rhinorrhea in a tertiary care centre. This is a retrospective study conducted on 81 patients who underwent CSF Rhinorrhea repair in a tertiary care hospital for a period of 11years. Following confirmation of diagnosis using bio-chemical and radiological investigations, all patients underwent transnasal endoscopic repair of CSF Rhinorrhea using a multilayer graft. Patients were followed up for 6months. The most common etiology in our study was spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea (60.49%) and subjects with BMI > 25.5kg/m2 were more prone to it. Cribriform plate was found to be the most frequent site of leak in our study (58.02%), followed by fovea ethmoidalis (12.35%). Overall success rate was 96.30%. Transnasal endoscopic approach for cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea repair shows good success rate and also offers the advantages of better visualization and identification of site of leak, less complications, rapid postoperative recovery, and low recurrence rate. Transnasal endoscopic CSF Rhinorrhea repair has shown good results in terms of low recurrence rates and high patient satisfaction among other advantages. Hence this approach should be commonly used for CSF rhinorrhea repair by surgeons.

Management of coexistent sinonasal pathology in patients undergoing endoscopic cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea repair

IntroductionPatients who undergo endoscopic cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea repair may occasionally present with coexistent sinonasal pathology which may or may not need to be addressed prior to surgical repair. Some patients may develop new onset nasal morbidity related to endoscopic repair. ObjectiveTo study the prevalence and management of additional sinonasal pathology in patients who undergo endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea MethodsA retrospective review of patients who underwent endoscopic cerebrospinal fluid leak repair was conducted to note the presence of coexistent sinonasal morbidity preoperatively and in the followup period. ResultsOf a total of 153 patients who underwent endoscopic closure of cerebrospinal fluid leak, 97 (63.4%) were female and 56 (36.6%) males. Most patients (90.2%) were aged between 21 and 60 years, with a mean of 40.8 years. Sixty-four patients (41.8%) were found to have coexistent sinonasal morbidity preoperatively, the commonest being symptomatic deviated nasal septum (17.6%), chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps (11.1%) and chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps (3.3%). Rare instances of septal hemangioma (0.7%) and inverting papilloma (0.7%) were also seen. Postoperatively, there was cessation of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea in 96.7% which rose to 100% after revision surgery in those with recurrence. Resolution of coexistent sinonasal pathology occurred in all patients with followup ranging from 10 to 192 months. New onset sinonasal morbidity which developed postoperatively included synechiae between middle turbinate and lateral nasal wall (5.9%) and sinonasal polyposis (1.3%). ConclusionPatients who undergo endoscopic cerebrospinal fluid leak repair may have coexistent sinonasal pathology which needs to be addressed prior to or along with repair of the dural defect. New onset sinonasal morbidity, which may arise in a few patients postoperatively, may require additional treatment. A protocol for the management of coexistent sinonasal conditions ensures a successful outcome.

Evaluation of endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea

IntroductionCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhoea is a leakage of CSF fluid from the subarachnoid space through the frontal, sphenoidal or ethmoidal sinuses to the nose. MethodsIn this study we present our experience in endoscopic repair of 55 cases of CSF rhinorrhoea who were operated endoscopically trans-nasally. ResultsThe success rate of the procedure in preventing CSF leak after the first endoscopic repair was 85.5% which increased to 90.9% following the second endoscopic repair in patients with persistent leak. ConclusionEndoscopic approach in repair of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea is remarkably well tolerated and complication rates are low, including the risk for haemorrhage, infection, and graft failure.

Management of Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea in the Sphenoid Sinus Lateral Recess Through an Endoscopic Endonasal Transpterygoid Approach With Obliteration of the Lateral Recess

Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea in the sphenoid sinus lateral recess is a rare occurrence and poses unique challenges due to limited surgical access for surgical repair. To report our experience of surgical repair of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea in the sphenoid sinus lateral recess through an endoscopic endonasal transpterygoid approach with obliteration of the lateral recess. To evaluate the efficiency of this surgical procedure. A retrospective study. Twelve cases with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea in the sphenoid sinus lateral recess were reviewed. Assisted by image-guided navigation, cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was repaired through an endoscopic endonasal transpterygoid approach, with obliteration of the lateral recess. Complications and recurrence were recorded. Medical photographs were used. This surgical approach provided a relatively spacious corridor to dissect the sphenoid sinus lateral recess and do postoperative surveillance. The repair area completely healed in 3 months after surgery. Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea in the sphenoid sinus lateral recess was successfully repaired on the first attempt in all cases (100%). No main complications or recurrence was observed during a mean follow-up time of 40.3 months. The endoscopic endonasal transpterygoid approach gives appropriate access for the treatment of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea in the sphenoid sinus lateral recess. Multilayer reconstruction of a skull base defect with obliteration of the lateral recess is a reliable and simple method.

Clinical analysis of transnasal endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea

Objective:To summarize the common clinical types of cerebrospinal fluid（CSF） rhinorrhea and key points of transnasal endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea. To evaluate clinical effects. Method:In 29 patients with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, 9 patients with traumatic CSF rhinorrhea, 10 patients with spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea, 7 patients with CSF rhinorrhea after tumour excision, and 3 patients with iatrogenic CSF rhinorrhea. All the 29 patients were treated with transnasal endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea. Result:There were 25 patients were successfully repaired at one time. Three patients developed intracranial infection and 2 patient developed pneumocephalus after surgery, all of them were cured with conservative treatment. All the patients who were followed-up for more than half a year had no recurrence. Conclusion:Transnasal endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea is safe and effective, the success rate of operation is high, it is not easy to recur, and the complications are few. It can be used as the first choice for repairing of CSF rhinorrhea and effective prevention measures. Accurate location of leak, appropriate repair, effective reconstruction of the skull base, continuous drainage of the lumbar cistern when necessary and active prevention of intracranial infection are critical to the success of operation.

Intraoperative Repair of Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea in Skull Base Tumor Resection: A Retrospective Study of Acellular Dermal Matrix Versus Turbinate Flap

The acellular dermal matrix (ADM) and turbinate flap (TF) have been widely used in the reconstruction of skull base defects. However, owing to the lack of reported data, the therapeutic effects have been controversial. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effect of the ADM and TF on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea after nasal endoscopic resection of a skull base tumor. The data from 46 patients who had undergone nasal endoscopic resection of a skull base tumor and repair of CSF rhinorrhea were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into ADM and TF groups according to the difference in repair materials used. We compared and analyzed the intraoperative information and postoperative outcomes. The operation time, blood loss, defect area, and need for blood transfusion were not significantly different between the ALT and TF groups. The postoperative length of hospital stay (14.33 ± 3.66 vs. 16.76 ± 5.51 days; P= 0.669) and the incidence of complications, including wound infection (1 vs. 0; P= 0.270), intracranial infection (1 vs. 1; P= 0.900), hemorrhage (2 vs. 3; P= 0.788), 15-day CSF leak (1 vs. 2; P= 0.658), and respiratory infection (2 vs. 1; P= 0.450) were comparable between the 2 groups. The 6-month (0 vs. 0; P= 1.000) and 12-month (0 vs. 0; P= 1.000) incidence of recurrence also showed no significant differences. The use of the ADM for patients with CSF rhinorrhea showed comparable results in terms of postoperative outcomes compared with the use of TF. ADM could serve as a safe and feasible alternative for endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea after nasal endoscopic resection of skull base tumors.

Endoscopic cerebrospinal fluid leak repair: how we do it

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhoea is characterized by a defect in the barriers which separate the subarachnoid space from sinonasal tract resulting in the leakage of watery fluid from the nose. Management of CSF rhinorrhoea is by both conservative and/or surgical approach. Transnasal endoscopic method has become the preferred surgical method for the repair of CSF leak because of less complication as compared to the open approach. To evaluate the results of patients who underwent endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhoea over a period of 5 years at BJ Medical College, Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> 118 patients were included in this retrospective study who underwent CSF leak repair by nasal endoscopy over a period of 5 years between 2011-2016 in the department of ENT at BJ Medical College, Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad. As per review of the records, these patients were diagnosed with CSF leak on the basis of their history, clinical examination, and radiological investigations. Materials used for the repair were fat, fascia lata, fibrin sealant, and/or vascular flap. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> Primary surgery was successful in 110 (93%) of cases. In 8 (7%) cases, there was a recurrence of leak which was managed by either conservative management (5 cases, 4%) or by re-exploration (3 cases, 3%).</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Transnasal endoscope is an important tool for the evaluation and subsequent treatment of CSF rhinorrhoea. Endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhoea is safe, effective, has a low complication rate and has almost completely replaced the open technique.</p>

The Key Methods to Increase the Success Rate of Endoscopic Repair of Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea

Objectives: To evaluate the success rate of endoscopic repair of CSF leak and factors with potential effect on surgical outcome. Methods: A case series study based on review of medical records and follow up of patients admitted at three hospitals during a 5 year period. Results: Of 43 operated patients 38 (88.4%) had successful result after first surgical attempt. Defect size, number of graft layers, graft placement technique-underlay vs. overlay-lumbar drain placement or serial lumbar punctures did not show a statistically significant association with surgical outcome. Definite determination of defect site before or during operation had a relationship with surgical success with a P value of 0.06 there was a significant correlation between the number of layers on the defect site and immediate postoperative improvement. Conclusions: Endoscopic repair of CSF leak has been proven as a successful method with reported success rate of above 80 percent. Careful attempt to find the exact site of CSF leak is recommended. We do not suggest the routine use of lumbar drains, serial post op lumbar punctures and intrathecal fluorescine due to their potential complications and no evidence for their efficacy.

Surgical Approach To Manage Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea Through Vault Or Through Nose

Objective: Background: Surgical management of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea can be done through a transcranial approach or endoscopically using a transnasal approach. The endoscopic technology is relatively fresh in developing countries. Keeping this in mind we conducted an audit of patients undergoing endoscopic repair of CSF leaks to review their outcome in terms of recurrence and complications and compare them with the patients had transcranial repair. The objective of the study is to review the management of patients who underwent repair of CSF rhinorrhea at Lyari General Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital and Memon Medical Institute Hospital – 10 years experience. Study design: Cross-sectional observational study Place and duration of Study: Lyari General Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital and Memon Medical Institute Hospital, from January 2005 to December 2014 Patients & methods: A review of patient charts having undergone surgical repair for CSF rhinorrhea in the last 10 years at our institution was conducted. Thirty eight patients meeting the inclusion criteria of having undergone a surgical procedure for the repair of CSF rhinorrhea with a minimum post operative follow up of 6 months were included in the study. Results: Skull base defects were repaired with the help of minimally invasive transnasal endoscopic approach with a success rate of 80% in comparison to transcranial repair success rate of 29%. Post-operative complications were seen in only 10% of endoscopic group and 53% of transcranial group. Conclusion: Although endoscopic management is associated with better outcomes there is room for improvement in the approach in developing countries and training programs and detailed internal audits need to be conducted to improve the situation to the level of developed countries.

Minimally invasive endoscopic repair of refractory lateral skull base cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea: case report and review of the literature

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks occur in approximately 10% of patients undergoing a translabyrinthine, retrosigmoid, or middle fossa approach for vestibular schwannoma resection. Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea also results from trauma, neoplasms, and congenital defects. A high degree of difficulty in repair sometimes requires repetitive microsurgical revisions-a rate of 10% of cases is often cited. This can not only lead to morbidity but is also costly and burdensome to the health care system. In this case-based theoretical analysis, the authors summarize the literature regarding endoscopic endonasal techniques to obliterate the eustachian tube (ET) as well as compare endoscopic endonasal versus open approaches for repair. Given the results of their analysis, they recommend endoscopic endonasal ET obliteration (EEETO) as a first- or second-line technique for the repair of CSF rhinorrhea from a lateral skull base source refractory to spontaneous healing and CSF diversion. They present a case in which EEETO resolved refractory CSF rhinorrhea over a 10-month follow-up after CSF diversions, wound reexploration, revised packing of the ET via a lateral microscopic translabyrinthine approach, and the use of a vascularized flap had failed. They further summarize the literature regarding studies that describe various iterations of EEETO. By its minimally invasive nature, EEETO imposes less morbidity as well as less risk to the patient. It can be readily implemented into algorithms once CSF diversion (for example, lumbar drain) has failed, prior to considering open surgery for repair. Additional studies are warranted to further demonstrate the outcome and cost-saving benefits of EEETO as the data until now have been largely empirical yet very hopeful. The summaries and technical notes described in this paper may serve as a resource for those skull base teams faced with similar challenging and otherwise refractory CSF leaks from a lateral skull base source.