scholarly journals Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak Presenting as Unilateral (Left-sided) Middle ear Effusion

2008 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kavadi T. Rajkumar ◽  
Ahmed A. Orabi ◽  
Michael S. Timms

Spontaneous leak of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the middle ear occurs rarely and can easily be missed, especially in adults. Although the presenting symptoms can be subtle, early suspicion and confirmatory imaging can establish the diagnosis. Most previously reported cases of spontaneous CSF leak into the middle ear occurred on the right side. We report a case of left-sided single-defect spontaneous leak.

2019 ◽  
Vol 161 (3) ◽  
pp. 493-498
Author(s):  
Joseph T. Breen ◽  
Colin R. Edwards ◽  
Rebecca S. Cornelius ◽  
J. Michael Hazenfield ◽  
Gavriel D. Kohlberg ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo demonstrate the clinical utility, sensitivity, and specificity of standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences in differentiating temporal bone cerebrospinal fluid leaks from all other middle ear effusions.Study DesignRetrospective imaging review.SettingAcademic medical center.SubjectsPatients with cerebrospinal fluid leaks or other middle ear effusions who also underwent MRI.MethodsPatients were assigned to cerebrospinal fluid leak and other effusion cohorts based on clinical course, findings at surgery/myringotomy, and beta-2 transferrin fluid analysis. Reviewers blinded to the clinical outcome examined T1-weighted, T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and 3-dimensional (3D) acquired T2-weighted MRI sequences. For each sequence, fluid imaged in the temporal bone was graded as either similar or dissimilar in signal intensity to cerebrospinal fluid in the adjacent subarachnoid space. Signal similarity was interpreted as being diagnostic of a leak. Test characteristics in predicting the presence of a leak were calculated for each series.ResultsEighty patients met criteria (41 leaks, 39 other effusions). The 3D T2 series was 76% sensitive and 100% specific in diagnosing a leak, and FLAIR was 44% sensitive and 100% specific. The T1-weighted (73% sensitive, 69% specific), T2-weighted (98% sensitive, 5.1% specific), and diffusion-weighted (63% sensitive, 66% specific) series were less useful.ConclusionsMRI, with attention to 3D T2 and FLAIR series, is a noninvasive and highly specific test for diagnosing cerebrospinal fluid leak in the setting of an indeterminate middle ear effusion.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murad Baba ◽  
Omer Tarar ◽  
Amer Syed

Introduction. Spontaneous nontraumatic pneumocephalus (PNC) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are both very uncommon conditions. We report a rare case of spontaneous pneumocephalus associated with CSF leak secondary to right sphenoid sinus bony defect without history of trauma.Case Description. 51-year-old Hispanic female with past medical history of hypertension and idiopathic intracranial hypertension (Pseudotumor Cerebri) presented to the emergency room complaining of headache and clear discharge from the right nostril. Physical examination was significant for right frontal sinus tenderness and clear discharge from right nostril. Computed Tomography (CT) scan of the brain showed moderate amount of extra-axial air within the right cerebral hemisphere indicative of pneumocephalus. CT scan of facial bones showed bony defect along the right sphenoid sinus with abnormal CSF collection. The patient was started on intravenous antibiotics for meningitis prophylaxis and subsequently underwent transsphenoidal repair of cerebrospinal fluid leak with abdominal fat graft. CSF rhinorrhea stopped completely after the surgery with near complete resolution of pneumocephalus before discharge.Conclusions. Early identification of pneumocephalus and surgical intervention can help decrease the morbidity and avoid possible complications. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension, although rare, can lead to CSF leak and pneumocepahlus.


2021 ◽  
pp. 014556132110185
Author(s):  
Michela Borrelli ◽  
Kristen A. Echanique ◽  
Jeffrey Koempel ◽  
Elisabeth H. Ference

Penetrating transorbital injury with skull base involvement is a rare occurrence from a crayon. We report a case of a 2-year-old male who sustained a penetrating crayon injury through the right orbit and lamina papyracea into the posterior ethmoid sinus complicated by cerebrospinal fluid leak. There have been no other reported cases of this type of injury by a crayon.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Vilca ◽  
◽  
Carlos Palacios ◽  
Sofía Rosas ◽  
Ermitaño Bautista ◽  
...  

Introduction: Pneumocephalus is mainly associated with traumatic injuries, being a rare complication but with high mortality rates; it behaves like a space-occupying lesion and increases intracranial pressure. The symptoms are not specific, but in the event of trauma it is necessary to suspect this entity to carry out a timely diagnosis and treatment, since being the product of the skull base fracture it can cause communication with the outside, and the appearance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. Clinical Case: a 38-year-old male patient who suffers trauma from a pyrotechnic explosion near his right ear, when handling a pyrotechnic object (whistle) during the New Year, presenting severe pain, slight bleeding in the right ear, feeling faint and holocranial headache that increased in a standing position; likewise, he presents high-flow aqueous secretion (CSF) from the right ear. Brain and skull base tomography (CT) showed air in the intracranial cavity, fracture of the skull base, and the ossicles of the right middle ear. Conservative management was performed using rest and lumbar drainage, presenting a satisfactory evolution. Conclusion: Pneumocephalus is a frequent and expected complication of trauma with a skull base fracture. Its early and timely diagnosis using skull base CT is essential to define therapeutic measures. Accidents due to the misuse of pyrotechnics continue to be a relevant problem in our country. Knowing and disseminating its consequences can help raise awareness in the population. Keywords: Pneumocephalus, Skull Base, Intracranial Pressure, Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak. (Source: MeSH NLM)


1985 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 625-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Gail Neely

This article presents a classification system of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid middle ear effusion to facilitate early diagnosis and lesion localization for surgical correction. Thirty-eight articles containing case histories of 45 patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid middle ear effusion reported in the English literature from 1913 to 1983 were reviewed. Four additional personal cases, representing the largest single series, are described in detail. Classification of these cases into the following three types has been possible: (type I, abnormal connections through the otic capsule; type II, abnormal connections adjacent to the otic capsule; and type III, abnormal connections distant from the otic capsule. The diagnostic and therapeutic implications of each type are unique. Age, auditory and vestibular test results, and computerized or hypocycloldal tomography differentiate the three.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adedamola Adepoju ◽  
Lucas P Carlstrom ◽  
Christopher S Graffeo ◽  
Avital Perry ◽  
Carlos Diogenes Pinheiro-Neto ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND The lateral craniopharyngeal or Sternberg's canal (SC) originates from superior orbital fissure (SOF) and traverses the sphenoid body into the nasopharynx. A remnant of the canal, Sternberg's defect (SD), has been debated as a source of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. The canal was described in 1888, and there is limited accurate visual illustration in the literature. OBJECTIVE To provide a detailed anatomic and radiological illustration of the canal in pediatric and adult population including the mechanism undermining the incidence of the canal, and the possibility of the canal as a source of CSF leak. METHODS A total of 195 high-resolution computed tomographies (CT) of patients (50 3-yr-old, 20 5-yr-old, and 125 adults) and 43 dry adult skulls (86 sides) were analyzed for a canal matching the description of the SC. RESULTS A SC was identified in 86% of the 3-yr-old and 40% of 5-yr–old patients. The diameter and length were 2.12 mm and 12 mm, respectively. The incidence of the canal decreased with age as sinus pneumatization extended into the sphenoid sinus. Only 0.8% of the adult skull on CT had the canal. The canal was not present on the dry adult skulls examination, but SD was found in 4.65%. CONCLUSION SC exists with high incidence in the pediatric group. Sinus pneumatization obliterates the canal in the adult population, leaving a defect in 4.65% of cases, which given the location and related anatomic structures, is unlikely to be a source of CSF leak.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-139
Author(s):  
Byung Kil Kim ◽  
Yujin Heo ◽  
Doo-Sik Kong ◽  
Sang Duk Hong

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is possible and can be a cause of recurrent bacterial meningitis. Petrous apex meningocele (PAM) is mostly asymptomatic and is often found during incidental imaging tests. We experienced a case of CSF rhinorrhea with recurrent meningitis in bilateral PAM after adenoidectomy. This report highlights the diagnostic process of CSF leak, identification of leakage site, and surgical approach to petrous apex lesions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Hoghoughi ◽  
Tayebeh Kazemi ◽  
Ali Khojasteh ◽  
Raha Habibagahi ◽  
Zahra Kalkate ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Different surgical techniques and management approaches have been introduced to manage the cleft palate (CP) and its complications, such as otitis media with effusion (OME) and auditory problems. The optimal method, as well as the ideal time for palatoplasty and ventilation tube insertion, are the subject of controversy in the literature. We aimed to evaluate The Effect of Intervelar Veloplasty under Magnification (Sommerlad’s Technique) without Tympanostomy on Middle Ear Effusion in Cleft Palate Patients. Methods non-syndromic cleft palate patients from birth to 24 months who needed primary palatoplasty from April 2017 to 2019 were enrolled in this study. intravelar veloplasty (IVVP) surgery under magnification has been done by the same surgeon. Likewise, Otoscopy, Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR), and tympanometry were performed for all the patients before and six months after palatoplasty. Results Tympanograms were classified into two categories according to shape and middle ear pressure, and it was done in 42 children (84 ears). Type B curve was seen in 40 cases (80 ears) before surgery which reduced significantly (P < 0.005) to 12 cases in the left ear and 14 cases in the right ear after surgery. So, after surgery, 70 % of the tympanogram of left ears and 66.6 % of the tympanogram of Rt ears were in normal condition (type A tympanometry). ABR was done for 43 patients (86 ears) before surgery and six months after palatoplasty. Data were shown that 40 of the patients had mild to moderate hearing loss before surgery, which reduced significantly (P < 0.005) to 9 in the left ear and 11 in the right ear after palatoplasty. So, after surgery, 79 % of ABR of left ears and 73.8 % of ABR of right ears were in normal status (normal hearing threshold). Conclusions Intervelar veloplasty under magnification (Sommerlad’s technique) significantly improved the middle ear effusion without the need for tympanostomy tube insertion.


2017 ◽  
Vol 96 (8) ◽  
pp. 302-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Luis Quesada ◽  
Giovanni Cammaroto ◽  
Lilla Bonanno ◽  
Francesco Galletti ◽  
Pedro Quesada

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is an uncommon event that can occur during stapes surgery. Such leaks can be classified as gushing leaks (stapes gushers) and oozing leaks. A stapes gusher is a massive flow of CSF through the perforated footplate that fills the middle ear suddenly, while an oozing leak is a slower and less profuse flow. We conducted a retrospective, observational, multicenter study of 38 patients—23 men and 15 women, aged 23 to 71 years (mean: 47)—who had experienced a CSF leak during stapes surgery. Patients were divided into various groups according to the type of surgical procedure performed and the type of postoperative complications they experienced. Audiometric and clinical evaluations were carried out pre- and postoperatively. Correlations among surgical variations (total or partial stapedectomy, placement of a prosthesis), hearing outcomes, and the incidence of postoperative complications (postoperative CSF leak and vertigo) were studied. Our statistical analysis revealed that gushing leaks and oozing leaks result in different degrees of hearing impairment and different rates of complications. We recommend that an individual approach be used to manage these complications.


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