ABSTRACT
Catastrophic consequences of an untreated CSF rhinorrhea are described historically. These include meningitis, intracranial hypotension, pneumocephalus, and intracranial abscess formation. Meningitis, the most commonly described complication, is seen to develop in about 6.75% of cases of a persistent CSF leak, and in turn may lead to potentially debilitating problems and a long-term consequences. Almost 80% of pneumocephalus cases are caused by trauma. Patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and spontaneous CSF leaks are highly prone to develop encephaloceles. Mortality rates secondary to traumatic brain injury with CSF rhinorrhea are known to be significantly higher than those of traumatic brain injury without a CSF leak.
