Delayed post traumatic CSF rhinorrhoea: Two rare cases and review of literature

Abstract

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak can occur immediately or several years after traumatic skull base injury which may present merely as a CSF leak or may even present with recurrent meningitis. Around 2% of all cases of head trauma, and 12%–30% of all basilar skull fractures may develop CSF leak. Posttraumatic CSF rhinorrhoea usually occurs within the first 48 hours, and the majority of them occur in the first 3 months, whereas delayed CSF leak beyond 3 months is rare.

We encountered two such cases of delayed post-traumatic CSF rhinorrhoea about a decade after the head injury. We have reviewed and discussed previous studies on delayed post-traumatic CSF rhinorrhoea which have shown CSF leaks occur after months, years, or even after trauma. Such cases may help clinicians to be aware of the possibility of delayed CSF rhinorrhoea which may occur years after traumatic head injury.