Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
rhinorrhoea results from anatomical breach between the subarachnoid space and
air sinus cavities of the skull base and traumatic CSF rhinorrhoea accounts for
80% - 90% of all cases of CSF leaks. We sought to report the case of a 16-year-old
patient with a history of head injury following a fall from a tree, who
developed a post-traumatic CSF rhinorrhoea after an onset of meningitis. The
patient sustained a fall from a 6-meter tree in 2008, and was reviewed by our
neurosurgical team in February 2016 for a 1-month history of progressive
headaches associated with fever, asthenia and left CSF rhinorrhoea. Clinical
examination revealed frank meningism and abundant CSF leak from the left
nostril. CT scanning showed fractures of the left frontal bone and sinus wall
associated with a massive pneumocephalus. The patient benefited from surgical
repair of the tear and post-operative lumbar punctures at day 15. The patient’s
guardian was informed that non-identifiable information from the case would be
submitted for publication and he provided consent.
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