Long-Term Outcomes of Endoscopic Repair of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks and Meningoencephaloceles

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 582-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi Zuckerman ◽  
James A. Stankiewicz ◽  
James M. Chow

Background The management and surgical approach to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks and meningoencephaloceles have undergone transformation throughout the last 10 years. It is our interest to examine the long-term surgical outcome and reoccurrence rates of CSF leaks or meningoencephaloceles in patients having endoscopic surgical repair. Methods We performed a retrospective evaluation of 50 patients that underwent endoscopic surgical repair of a CSF leak, meningoencephalocele, or both, between September 1985 and October 2003. Results Cumulatively, reoccurrence rates were 15% (7/47) among the CSF leak patients with an average time frame for reoccurrence ranging from 1 to 25 months (average, 7 months). Patients with meningoencephaloceles had an overall reoccurrence rate of 8% (1/13). In addition, a Medline search on CSF leaks and meningoencephaloceles provided the names of 32 authors that have studied outcomes of endoscopic surgical repair. Of the 151 patients still followed in the 5- to 10-year postoperative group, there were 37 recurrences of CSF leaks and 5 reoccurrences of the meningoencephaloceles with a total recurrence rate of 27% (37 + 5/151). Of the 19 patients still followed in the >10-year postoperative group, there were three reoccurrences of CSF leaks and no reoccurrences of meningoencephaloceles, giving a reoccurrence rate of 16% (3 + 0/19). Conclusion Based on our cumulative results, a reoccurrence of a CSF leak or meningoencephalocele after endoscopic repair will occur within the first 2 years postoperatively. Once patients pass these postoperative time frames they are relatively free of reoccurrence from this very effective surgical management. Endoscopic repair results are better than craniotomy with much less morbidity.

1997 ◽  
Vol 111 (11) ◽  
pp. 1042-1046 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Wormald ◽  
Mike McDonogh

AbstractIn the past cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks were managed via a craniotomy with intradural repair. With the advent of endoscopic sinus surgery, transnasal repair has become more popular. The comparatively low morbidity and high success rate of endoscopic repair has made it the treatment of choice for CSF leak repair. As more surgeons practice endoscopic sinus surgery, the incidence of iatrogenic CSF leaks has increased. It is important that endoscopic sinus surgeons be aware of the techniques for closing such leaks. The aim of this study is to present a new technique for the endoscopic repair of CSF leaks. Since the technique was devised the authors have used the technique on six patients. All patients had lumbar drains inserted and five patients had intra-thecal fluorescein inserted for location of the leak. All repairs have been successful with an average follow-up of 13 months. The technique consists of introducing a fat plug with a specifically secured vicryl suture into the intradural space and placing traction on the suture to seal the defect much as a bath plug seals a bath. There were no complications in any of the patients either intra- or post-operatively. The difficulties and possible complications of the technique as well as the use of a lumbar drain and intra-thecal fluorescein are discussed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 116 (6) ◽  
pp. 1299-1303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gautam U. Mehta ◽  
Edward H. Oldfield

Object Cerebrospinal fluid leakage is a major complication of transsphenoidal surgery. An intraoperative CSF leak, which occurs in up to 50% of pituitary tumor cases, is the only modifiable risk factor for postoperative leaks. Although several techniques have been described for surgical repair when an intraoperative leak is noted, none has been proposed to prevent an intraoperative CSF leak. The authors postulated that intraoperative CSF drainage would diminish tension on the arachnoid, decrease the rate of intraoperative CSF leakage during surgery for larger tumors, and reduce the need for surgical repair of CSF leaks. Methods The results of 114 transsphenoidal operations for pituitary macroadenoma performed without intraoperative CSF drainage were compared with the findings from 44 cases in which a lumbar subarachnoid catheter was placed before surgery to drain CSF at the time of dural exposure and tumor removal. Results Cerebrospinal fluid drainage reduced the rate of intraoperative CSF leakage from 41% to 5% (p < 0.001). This reduction occurred in macroadenomas with (from 57% to 5%, p < 0.001) and those without suprasellar extension (from 29% to 0%, p = 0.31). The rate of postoperative CSF leakage was similar (5% vs 5%), despite the fact that intraoperative CSF drainage reduced the need for operative repair (from 32% to 5%, p < 0.001). There were no significant catheter-related complications. Conclusions Cerebrospinal fluid drainage during transsphenoidal surgery for macroadenomas reduces the rate of intraoperative CSF leaks. This preventative measure obviated the need for surgical repair of intraoperative CSF leaks using autologous fat graft placement, other operative techniques, postoperative lumbar drainage, and/or reoperation in most patients and is associated with minimal risks.


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohnish Grover ◽  
Pawan Singhal ◽  
Shashank Nath Singh ◽  
Man Prakash Sharma ◽  
Avani Jain

ABSTRACT Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea results from a breakdown of barriers between the subarachnoid space and aerodigestive tract. Because of the risk of potential intracranial complications, all persistent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks should be repaired. Over the past few decades, with the advances in endoscopic techniques, the surgical management of CSF rhinorrhea has changed significantly. CSF leak repair has advanced from the conventional open intracranial approaches by neurosurgeons to the transnasal endoscopic ones by otorhinolaryngologists. In this study, 35 patients with CSF leaks underwent endoscopic repair with a 94.3% first attempt success rate, and 100% overall success rate. There were no major intraoperative or postoperative complications. To conclude, the endoscopic approach has a high success rate with minimal morbidity and has therefore, become the preferred method. How to cite this article Jain A, Singhal P, Sharma MP, Singh SN, Grover M. Transnasal Endoscopic Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea Repair: Our Experience of 35 Cases. Clin Rhinol An Int J 2014;7(2):47-51.


2016 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar H. Ahmed ◽  
Sonya Marcus ◽  
Jenna R. Tauber ◽  
Binhuan Wang ◽  
Yixin Fang ◽  
...  

Objective Perioperative lumbar drain (LD) use in the setting of endoscopic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak repair is a well-established practice. However, recent data suggest that LDs may not provide significant benefit and may thus confer unnecessary risk. To examine this, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the effect of LDs on postoperative CSF leak recurrence following endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea. Data Sources A comprehensive search was performed with the following databases: Ovid MEDLINE (1947 to November 2015), EMBASE (1974 to November 2015), Cochrane Review, and PubMed (1990 to November 2015). Review Method A meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Results A total of 1314 nonduplicate studies were identified in our search. Twelve articles comprising 508 cases met inclusion criteria. Overall, use of LDs was not associated with significantly lower postoperative CSF leak recurrence rates following endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea (odds ratio: 0.89, 95% confidence interval: 0.40-1.95) as compared with cases performed without LDs. Subgroup analysis of only CSF leaks associated with anterior skull base resections (6 studies, 153 cases) also demonstrated that lumbar drainage did not significantly affect rates of successful repair (odds ratio: 2.67, 95% confidence interval: 0.64-11.10). Conclusions There is insufficient evidence to support that adjunctive lumbar drainage significantly reduces postoperative CSF leak recurrence in patients undergoing endoscopic CSF leak repair. Subgroup analysis examining only those patients whose CSF leaks were associated with anterior skull base resections demonstrated similar results. More level 1 and 2 studies are needed to further investigate the efficacy of LDs, particularly in the setting of patients at high risk for CSF leak recurrence.


2018 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 425-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben A. Strickland ◽  
Joshua Lucas ◽  
Brianna Harris ◽  
Edwin Kulubya ◽  
Joshua Bakhsheshian ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVECerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is among the most common complications following transsphenoidal surgery for sellar region lesions. The aim of this study was to review the authors’ institutional experience in identifying, repairing, and treating CSF leaks associated with direct endonasal transsphenoidal operations.METHODSThe authors performed a retrospective review of cases involving surgical treatment of pituitary adenomas and other sellar lesions at the University of Southern California between December 1995 and March 2016. Inclusion criteria included all pathology of the sellar region approached via a direct microscopic or endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach. Demographics, pathology, intraoperative and postoperative CSF leak rates, and other complications were recorded and analyzed. A literature review of the incidence of CSF leaks associated with the direct endonasal transsphenoidal approach to pituitary lesions was conducted.RESULTSA total of 1002 patients met the inclusion criteria and their cases were subsequently analyzed. Preoperative diagnoses included pituitary adenomas in 855 cases (85.4%), Rathke’s cleft cyst in 94 (9.4%), and other sellar lesions in 53 (5.2%). Lesions with a diameter ≥ 1 cm made up 49% of the series. Intraoperative repair of an identified CSF leak was performed in 375 cases (37.4%) using autologous fat, fascia, or both. An additional 92 patients (9.2%) underwent empirical sellar reconstruction without evidence of an intraoperative CSF leak. Postoperative CSF leaks developed in 26 patients (2.6%), including 13 (1.3% of the overall group) in whom no intraoperative leak was identified. Among the 26 patients who developed a postoperative CSF leak, 13 were noted to have intraoperative leak and underwent sellar repair while the remaining 13 did not have an intraoperative leak or sellar repair. No patients who underwent empirical sellar repair without an intraoperative leak developed a postoperative leak. Eight patients underwent additional surgery (0.8% reoperation rate) for CSF leak repair, and 18 were successfully treated with lumbar drainage or lumbar puncture alone. The incidence of postoperative CSF rhinorrhea in this series was compared with that in 11 other reported series that met inclusion criteria, with incidence rates ranging between 0.6% and 12.1%.CONCLUSIONSIn this large series, half of the patients who developed postoperative CSF rhinorrhea had no evidence of intraoperative CSF leakage. Unidentified intraoperative CSF leaks and/or delayed development of CSF fistulas are equally important sources of postoperative CSF rhinorrhea as the lack of employing effective CSF leak repair methods. Empirical sellar reconstruction in the absence of an intraoperative CSF leak may be of benefit following resection of large tumors, especially if the arachnoid is thinned out and herniates into the sella.


2018 ◽  
Vol 158 (4) ◽  
pp. 774-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zixiang Cong ◽  
Kaidong Liu ◽  
Guodao Wen ◽  
Liang Qiao ◽  
Handong Wang ◽  
...  

Postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks still occur in patients without intraoperative CSF leaks after endoscopic endonasal pituitary adenoma surgery. We propose a reconstructive technique, the sellar floor flap (SFF), for universal sellar anatomical reconstruction. A total of 113 patients without intraoperative CSF leaks after endoscopic endonasal pituitary adenoma surgery from July 2013 to June 2016 were reviewed: 43 underwent sellar reconstruction with the SFF (the SFF group) and 70 underwent sellar packing only (the nonreconstruction group). No case of postoperative CSF leak was reported in the SFF group, whereas 7 cases were reported in the nonreconstruction group ( P < .05). The SFF is suitable for universal reconstruction after endoscopic endonasal pituitary adenoma surgery and may decrease postoperative CSF leak.


2001 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 333-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Castelnuovo ◽  
Silvia Mauri ◽  
Davide Locatelli ◽  
Enzo Emanuelli ◽  
Giovanni Delù ◽  
...  

Endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is becoming a common procedure. The purpose of this study was to perform a literature analysis centering cases of treatment failure and to review our 31 cases with a 1-year minimum follow-up. An extensive search of the literature was conducted, which focused on success rate, follow-up, diagnostic techniques, graft material used, failure rate, and comments on failures. A retrospective analysis of our 31 patients was carried out, and all cases were treated with the endoscopic approach with a 1-year minimum follow-up. From the literature analysis, the median success rate at the first endoscopic attempt is 90%. Our success rate was 87.1%. Failures were analyzed. A unique protocol for CSF leak diagnosis does not exist; we suggest our diagnostic algorithm. Graft material used depends on the authors’ experience, and based on this review of cases to date, did not significantly influence the success rate. The analysis of cases of failure shows that the majority of authors omit details. More research is needed to improve prevention of failures.


Author(s):  
Peter A. Benedict ◽  
Joseph R. Connors ◽  
Micah R. Timen ◽  
Nupur Bhatt ◽  
Richard Lebowitz ◽  
...  

Objective: Diagnosis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks is sometimes challenging in the postoperative period following pituitary and ventral skull base surgery. Intrathecal fluorescein (ITF) may be useful in this setting. Design: Retrospective chart review Setting: Tertiary care center Methods and Participants: All patients who underwent pituitary and ventral skull base surgery performed by a single rhinologist between January 2017–March 2020 were included. There were 103 patients identified. Eighteen patients received 20 ITF injections due to clinical suspicion for CSF leak during the postoperative period without florid CSF rhinorrhea on clinical exam. Computed tomography scans with new or increasing intracranial air and intra-operative findings were used to confirm CSF leaks. Clinical courses were reviewed for at least 6 months after initial concern for leak as the final determinate of CSF leak. Main Outcome Measures: Specificity and safety of ITF Results: Eleven (61%) ITF patients were female and 7 (39%) were male. Average patient age was 52.50±11.89. There were 6 patients with confirmed postoperative CSF leaks, 3 of whom had evaluations with ITF. ITF use resulted in 2 true positives, 1 false negative, 17 true negatives and 0 false positives. ITF sensitivity was 67%, specificity was 100%, and positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 94.4%, respectively. There were no adverse effects from ITF use. Conclusions: Existing modalities for detecting postoperative CSF leaks suffer from suboptimal sensitivity and specificity, delayed result reporting, or limited availability. Intrathecal fluorescein represents a specific and safe test with potential utility in the postoperative setting.


2019 ◽  
Vol 81 (06) ◽  
pp. 645-650
Author(s):  
Roshni V. Khatiwala ◽  
Karthik S. Shastri ◽  
Maria Peris-Celda ◽  
Tyler Kenning ◽  
Carlos D. Pinheiro-Neto

Abstract Background The endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) has become increasingly used for resection of skull base tumors in the sellar and suprasellar regions. A nasoseptal flap (NSF) is routinely used for anterior skull base reconstruction; however, there are numerous additional allografts and autografts being used in conjunction with the NSF. The role of perioperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion is also unclear. Objective This study was aimed to analyze success of high-flow CSF leak repair during EEA procedures without use of CSF diversion through lumbar drainage. Methods A retrospective chart review of patients who had intraoperative high-flow CSF leak during EEA procedures at our institution between January 2013 and December 2017 was performed. CSF leaks were repaired with use of a fascia lata button graft and nasoseptal flap, without use of perioperative lumbar drains. Results A total of 38 patients were identified (10 male, 28 female). Patient BMIs ranged from 19.7 to 49 kg/m2 (median = 31 kg/m2), with 18 patients meeting criteria for obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) and 12 patients overweight (25 kg/m2 < BMI < 29.9 kg/m2). There was no incidence of postoperative CSF leak. Conclusion In our experience, the nasoseptal flap used in conjunction with the fascia lata button graft is a safe, effective and robust combination for cranial base reconstruction with high-flow intraoperative CSF leaks, without need for lumbar drains.


2001 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey W. Brennan ◽  
David W. Rowed ◽  
Julian M. Nedzelski ◽  
Joseph M. Chen

Object. The aims of this study were to review the incidence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage complicating the removal of acoustic neuroma and to identify factors that influence its occurrence and treatment. Methods. Prospective information on consecutive patients who underwent operation for acoustic neuroma was supplemented by a retrospective review of the medical records in which patients with CSF leaks complicating tumor removal were identified. This paper represents a continuation of a previously published series and thus compiles the authors' continuous experience over the last 24 years of practice. In 624 cases of acoustic neuroma the authors observed an overall incidence of 10.7% for CSF leak. The rate of leakage was significantly lower in the last 9 years compared with the first 15, most likely because of the abandonment of the combined translabyrinthine (TL)—middle fossa exposure. There was no difference in the leakage rate between TL and retrosigmoid (RS) approaches, although there were differences in the site of the leak (wound leaks occurred more frequently after a TL and otorrhea after an RS approach, respectively). Tumor size (maximum extracanalicular diameter) had a significant effect on the leakage rate overall and for RS but not for TL procedures. The majority of leaks ceased with nonsurgical treatments (18% with expectant management and 49% with lumbar CSF drainage). However, TL leaks (especially rhinorrhea) required surgical repair significantly more often than RS leaks. This has not been reported previously. Conclusions. The rate of CSF leakage after TL and RS procedures has remained stable. Factors influencing its occurrence include tumor size but not surgical approach. The TL-related leaks had a significantly higher surgical repair rate than RS-related leaks, an additional factor to consider when choosing an approach. The problem of CSF leakage becomes increasingly important as nonsurgical treatments for acoustic neuroma are developed.


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