Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea

Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea
[[File:|250px|alt=|]]
Synonyms
Pronounce
Field
Symptoms
Complications
Onset
Duration
Types
Causes
Risks
Diagnosis
Differential diagnosis
Prevention
Treatment
Medication
Prognosis
Frequency
Deaths

CSF rhinorrhoea refers to the drainage of cerebrospinal fluid through the nose. Measures of CSF components such as glucose have been used in the past, but are neither sensitive nor specific; beta-2 transferrin, however, has been shown to have a high positive predictive value.<ref>,

 Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea: Diagnosis and Management, 
 Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America, 
 2005,
 Vol. 38(Issue: 4),
 pp. 597–611,
 DOI: 10.1016/j.otc.2005.03.011,
 PMID: 16005720,</ref> It has also been noted to be characterized by unilateral discharge.<ref name=EMedicine861126>CSF Rhinorrhea at eMedicine

</ref>

It is a sign of a basilar skull fracture. Management includes watchful waiting – leaks often stop spontaneously; if this does not occur then neurosurgical closure is necessary to prevent the spread of infection to the meninges.<ref name=EMedicine861126/>

Other signs of a basilar skull fracture includes CSF otorrhoea (drainage of CSF through the ear). It can have devastating complications in some patients, as the communication between the nasal cavity and the cerebrospinal fluid and CNS can result in bacterial infections of the CNS that can have catastrophic effects on the patient.<ref name=EMedicine861126/>

CSF rhinorrhoea can also be a symptom of a pituitary adenoma. ^{(May 2015)}

Spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea. The most common congenital or acquired defect in the skull base bones (anterior cranial fossa) at the spontaneous nasal liquorrhea localized in following formation:

• sphenoid sinus (43%)
• ethmoid bone (29%)
• cribriform plate (29%)

See also

• Beta-2 transferrin
• Meningitis
• Traumatic head injury

External links

   This article is a  stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it!

   This article is a medical stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it!