[Rhinological data in the diagnosis and choice of the type of surgical intervention in cerebrospinal rhinorrhea]

The study covers 70 cases of liquorrhea nasalis of various etiology. ENT specialists frequently regard liquorrhea nasalis as vasomotor allergic rhinitis. Liquorrhea nasalis may be divided into craniosinusonasal and cranionasal ones. The latter is more commonly followed by intracranial complications. An otorhinolaryngological otoneurological examination as part of a comprehensive study of patients with liquorrhea nasalis aids in diagnosing the disease and reveals the results of surgical treatment from the nasal endoscopic data, detects intranasal cerebral hernias, liquor cysts and tumors in the nasal cavity, residual otoneurological symptoms after prior meningitides, brain injuries and other diseases. A patient's positions and conditions allowing one to successfully detect even minimum liquorrhea nasalis have been worked out. Liquorrhea nasalis is subdivided into liquorrhea: a) that has no concurrent changes in the nasal cavity; b) that is accompanied by intranasal hernias and liquor cysts; c) that is concomitant with purulent sinusitis. The indications for any surgical intervention are different in each group, the rhinoscopic findings may be decisive in its choice. Among residual symptoms in patients with liquorrhea nasalis there are the most common olfactory disorders (35%) and mainly neurosensory hearing decrease (30%), beginning from mild hearing impairments resulting in complete deafness without vestibular excitability.