Endonasal Endoscopic Management of Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea: A Study of 263 Patients

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is a sign of a breach in the bony skull base. It should be verified, localized, and repaired surgically to alleviate the risk of intracranial infection. Endonasal endoscopic surgery is the standard technique for skull base reconstruction in these patients. The current study was undertaken to evaluate a large case series of patients with CSF rhinorrhea who underwent surgery, focusing on symptoms, etiology, specifics of skull base defects, reconstruction techniques, outcomes, and complications.

All patients with CSF rhinorrhea who were treated endoscopically for a skull base defect from 2010 to 2023 in a tertiary referral hospital were included.

In this retrospective study, 263 patients were included. The chief presenting symptom was rhinorrhea. Spontaneous CSF leak was the most common etiologic factor, whereas accidental trauma accounted for about one-third of the cases. In cases of spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea, the most common sites of skull base defects were the cribriform plate, lateral lamella of the ethmoid, and the lateral recess of the sphenoid. The frontal sinus was the most common site of defect in cases of accidental traumatic CSF rhinorrhea. In the majority of cases, a two-layer technique using inlay fat and onlay fascia was employed for skull base reconstruction. Recurrences, including technical failures, missed skull base defects, and late new skull base defects, were observed in 10 cases (3.8%). Three patients developed meningitis in the early postoperative period, but all recovered uneventfully.

Given the high success rate and low morbidity, all patients with CSF rhinorrhea should be counseled to undergo endoscopic surgery early.