Rigid endoscopic repair of paranasal sinus cerebrospinal fluid fistulas

Abstract

The advent of functional transnasal endoscopic sinus surgery has brought new opportunities in the repair of difficult cerebrospinal fluid leaks of the paranasal sinuses. The following four case reports illustrate the repair of cerebrospinal fluid leaks with the use of rigid transnasal endoscopy for enhanced angled visualization and illumination. A description of surgical techniques and instrumentation involving transnasal endoscopy in repair of sphenoidal and ethmoidal cerebrospinal fluid fistulas is reported. A discussion of etiology, diagnoses, and conservative versus surgical management of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea is presented.