Increased intracranial pressure in post-traumatic rhinorrhoea

Increased intracranial pressure coexistent with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhoea was encountered in five out of 46 patients with a persistent CSF leak. In four patients, hypertension was due to malabsorption of CSF. One patient had a post-traumatic intracerebral cyst. The various degrees of intracranial hypertension, their effects on the clinical course and modes of treatment are demonstrated by the cases reported. Many failures in repairing the fistulous tracts may not stem from lack of technique, but could be the result of treatment of only one of the two concomitant conditions.