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Elevated intracranial pressure in patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea
Kyle P Allen1, Carlos L Perez, J Walter Kutz
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
Objectives/Hypothesis:
To determine the prevalence of elevated intracranial hypertension in patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea (SCSFO).
Study Design:
Case series with chart review at a tertiary care academic medical center following institutional review board approval.
Methods:
A retrospective review was performed of patients undergoing operative repair of SCSFO between January 2007 and May 2012.
Results:
Thirty-eight patients underwent operative repair of SCSFO. Of these, 22 underwent postoperative lumbar puncture with measurement of opening pressure. The opening pressure was elevated (> 20 cm/H2 0) in eight patients (36.4%). Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging was available for review by a neuroradiologist in 27 patients. Radiographic evidence of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) was present in 48.1% of patients.
Conclusion:
Elevated ICP is common in patients with SCSFO. However, as only a minority of patients have elevated ICP, it is not the sole factor in the development of SCSFO.
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