Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhoea

The author reports 6 cases of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea operated on at the Department of Otolaryngology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, in 1965-9. The operations were carried out by the approach as used for external operations on ethmoidal sinuses. The fistula was closed with bone tissue, fascial and muscular grafts. In only 2 of these cases could the fistula be closed by a single operation. One of the patients needed three operations and 3 patients, two. Aplasia of the cribriform plates and the overlying meninges could be seen in all the cases. There were no fila olfactoria in the defective area of the cribriform plate, and in 2 cases a small dural prolapse with a fistula was seen in the bone defect.