• S Kästner, I Schroth, W Deinsberger, A Jödicke, and D K Böker.
• Neurochirurgische Klinik, Justus Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany.
• Zentralbl. Neurochir. 2001 Jan 1; 62 (3): 102-5.

AbstractImmediate posttraumatic CSF-fistulas are a well known entity after severe head injury. Delayed onset of rhinorrhea is considered to be rare. In the last 5 years 7 patients were treated in our department, who developed rhinorrhea 2-25 years after trauma. All patients went through episodes of meningitis. In 4 cases intermittent rhinorrhea was reported. In all cases a bony defect of the anterior skull base was detected by coronal bone window CT-scan. In three of them an encephalocele was revealed by MR-scanning. Treatment consisted in reconstruction of anterior skull base with a pedicled galeal-pericranial flap via a bifrontal craniotomy and went out without any complications. Delayed rhinorrhea after severe head injury is not a rare curiosity. In cases of bony defects after head injury reconstruction of anterior skull base is recommended to prevent episodes of recurrent meningitis.

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