The most common symptom of a spinal CSF leak is a headache, while a cranial CSF leak causes symptoms such as clear fluid leaking from the nose or ear. Some CSF leaks may heal with conservative treatments such as bed rest. Many CSF leaks need a blood patch to cover the hole or surgery to repair the leak.
The most common symptom of a spinal CSF leak is headache. These headaches usually:. Possible complications of a cranial CSF leak that is left untreated include meningitis and air entering the spaces surrounding the brain tension pneumocephalus. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.
This content does not have an Arabic version. Learn more. CSF washes out impurities from the brain, transfers nutrients and provides protective cushioning to the brain and spinal cord.
The fluid is contained by the meninges, a series of protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. CSF leaks can cause fluid to leak through the ears, through the nose or into the spinal canal.
CSF leakage through the ears or nose should be diagnosed and treated quickly and effectively to prevent meningitis , an infection of the meninges. Cerebrospinal fluid CSF is a clear liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It provides a cushion for delicate brain and spinal tissue.
Reduced cerebrospinal fluid, as in the case of a leak, requires immediate care by a trained expert. A CSF leak is when the CSF escapes through a tear or hole in the dura, the outermost layer of the meninges, which surround the brain. The dura can be injured or punctured during a head injury or a surgical procedure involving the sinuses, brain or spine.
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Copyright A. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Access myPennMedicine For Patients and Visitors. Patient Information. Conditions Treated A-Z. Definition A CSF leak is an escape of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Alternative Names Intracranial hypotension; Cerebrospinal fluid leak Causes Any tear or hole in the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord dura can allow the fluid that surrounds those organs to leak.
Such leaks are increasingly attributed to an underlying congenital disorder, such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and other connective tissue diseases. In many cases, a CSF leak will heal on its own accord following conservative treatment, including strict bed rest, increased fluid intake and caffeine.
Conservative treatment and the tincture of time is not always enough, however. Some patients with a leak at spine level may require a clinical procedure known as an epidural blood patch in order to promote healing; low-volume if the leak location is known following MRI , CT Myelography or MR Myelography imaging or high-volume if it remains undetected. Where a blood patch is not successful, a surgical sealant known as fibrin glue , or for more complex spinal or many cranial cases, neurosurgery, can be used to good effect if the site of the CSF leak in known.
In a lesser, but certainly not insignificant, number of cases, cerebrospinal fluid may continue to leak despite repeated attempts at patching, fibrin glue application or neurosurgery. Where a leak continues, either through unsuccessful treatment or delayed diagnosis, long-term disability is not uncommon due to severe chronic pain, visual disturbance, seizures and nerve damage.
Accordingly, sufferers may be unable to work, undertake any form of physical exercise or carry out basic day-to-day functions that able-bodied people would take for granted.
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