Surgical Management of Temporal Bone Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks from the Posterior Cranial Fossa

Although spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks from the posterior cranial fossa are uncommon, postoperative CSF leak after surgical treatment of cerebellopontine angle pathology is one of the most common complications of these procedures. In this article, we review the current literature, introduce the host of autologous and synthetic agents available to the surgeon for reconstruction of skull base defects, and provide detailed explanations of one reliable technique, including common variations for closure after retrosigmoid and translabyrinthine approaches.