[Clinical analysis of adult spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea]

To discuss the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of adult spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea (CSFR).

A retrospective study was conducted on 18 patients of CSFR. Nasal secretion was collected for biochemical analysis. Imaging examination was done for identification of the bony defect in skull base.

In all cases, the glucose concentration of nasal secretion were more than 1.7 mmol/L, and the β-2 transferrin detected by immunoelectrophoresis technique were positive. Twelve cases were found to have bony defect in skull base. For the rest 6 cases without bony defect, MRI findings of 6 cases showed sinusoidal effusion with similar signals to cerebrospinal fluid, thus predicting the location of the leak. Conservative treatment was successful in one case, and the other 17 patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery with computer assisted navigation system (CANS). The results of all cases underwent surgery were successful by one time. No recurrence occured during the follow-up time (11 to 24 months).

The incidence of adult CSFR is low, hence it is easily to be missed and misdiagnosed. The majority of CSFR patients are middle-aged and elderly obese women, often combined with hypertension, diabetes, moderate and severe osteoporosis due to no daily exercise habits. Correct medical history collection, reasonable preoperative examination and accurate preoperative localization of bony defect are essential for surgical repairment. CANS used during operation can enable surgeons to locate the site of leakage accurately and shorten the operation time.