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Traumatic and Iatrogenic CSF Leaks

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Skull Base Reconstruction

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Abstract

Trauma is the most common cause of anterior skull base cerebrospinal fluid leaks. Traumatic anterior skull base CSF leaks, iatrogenic and non-iatrogenic, are significant and complex problems which require timely identification and management. Persistent and untreated CSF leaks carry a high risk of ascending meningitis which increases over time with potentially serious consequences. Non-iatrogenic traumatic CSF leaks are most often the result of blunt craniofacial trauma and may present in a delayed fashion. Non-iatrogenic traumatic CSF leaks are generally considered likely to resolve with conservative non-surgical management first-line treatment for most cases, with surgical management recommended for cases that fail to resolve with conservative therapies and with certain characteristics of the defect and surrounding injuries. Iatrogenic CSF leaks are most commonly associated with neurosurgical, sinonasal, and orbital procedures. For iatrogenic CSF leaks, surgical management is initially recommended as they are unlikely to resolve with conservative measures.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Kaiser Permenente Orange County, Irvine, CA, USA

    Frederick Yoo

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  1. Frederick Yoo
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Correspondence to Frederick Yoo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Neurological Surgery, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

    Edward C. Kuan

  2. Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Bobby A. Tajudeen

  3. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Neurological Surgery, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

    Hamid R. Djalilian

  4. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Neurological Surgery, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

    Harrison W. Lin

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Yoo, F. (2023). Traumatic and Iatrogenic CSF Leaks. In: Kuan, E.C., Tajudeen, B.A., Djalilian, H.R., Lin, H.W. (eds) Skull Base Reconstruction . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27937-9_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27937-9_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-27936-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-27937-9

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