Skull base defects multilayer plasty in patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak: our experience

Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is one of the types of non-traumatic CSF leaks in which the etiologic factor is unknown. Skull base defects transnasal endoscopic plasty is the initial method of surgical repair of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leaks. METHODS: Forty-five patients with spontaneous CSF leaks were managed using multilayer transplant technique. The basic choice criteria of endoscopic transnasal surgical approach and materials to reconstruction of skull base defects were the size of defect and its localization. In all cases pediculated flaps in combination with free graft were used. RESULTS: In 43 (96%) cases CSF leaks was successfully managed in primary surgery, which indicates high efficiency of the described surgical interventions.