Management of Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea usually occurs as a result of trauma or surgical procedure such as endoscopic sinus surgery, neurosurgery and its incidence has shown tendency to increase recently. This study demonstrates the outcome of the treatment method of 24 CSF rhinorrhea cases. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We reviewed the medical records of 24 patients treated at Chonnam National University Hospital from 1994 to 2003. RESULTS: The most common cause of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was iatrogenic trauma. The most common site was ethmoid. The treatment methods were selected according to the cause, interval to treatment, underlying diseases and subjective symptoms. In our review were conservative treatments only or operations such as endoscopic approach and external ethmoidectomy. The overall success rate was 91% (22/ 24). CONCLUSION: Management and repair of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea should be individualized.