Journal Reviews

Acta Oto-laryngologica journal cover image

Which factors affect the postoperative CSF leak following endoscopic skull base surgery?

6 September 2021 | | Rhinology / Sinus, Skull Base Surgery | Endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery, multiple surgeries, postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak

Endoscopic skull base surgery is being increasingly performed worldwide for skull base tumours. Common indications include pituitary tumours, rathke cleft cysts, chordomas, craniopharyngiomas and olfactory neuroblastomas. The most common and important complication following endoscopic skull base surgery is postoperative CSF...

Neurosurgery journal cover

Single surgery for repair of tegmen defects and superior semicircular canal dehiscence

1 September 2019 | | Neurotology, Rhinoplasty | cerebrospinal fluid leak or fistula, Encephalocele, Intracranial pressure, Middle cranial fossa, Superior semicircular canal, Temporal bone

This retrospective review of 34 patients undergoing repair of the temporal bone defect via the middle cranial fossa approach provides the author’s management strategy for two problems: superior semicircular canal dehiscence and tegmen defects. The incidence of both these pathologies...

Balloons – more complicated than first thought?

1 March 2019 | | Rhinology / Sinus, Skull Base Surgery | balloon sinuplasty, cerebrospinal fluid leak, chronic rhinosinusitis, endoscopic sinus surgery, functional endoscopic sinus surgery, pneumocephalus, sinus surgery, sinusitis

This study describes the complications seen after balloon sinuplasty (BSP) - a commonly performed procedure (particularly in the USA where it is often performed as an office procedure) versus traditional functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). The data source was a...

Managing spontaneous CSF leaks secondary to benign intracranial hypertension

6 October 2017 | | Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, Endonasal endoscopic surgical procedures, Idiopathic intracranial hypertension, Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leaks

Spontaneous CSF leaks are a rare entity. In this paper, a Spanish group report their experience managing the condition using endoscopic surgery in 35 patients over an eight year period. Leak locations included the cribriform plate (18/35), ethmoid roof (15/35)...

Transnasal endoscopic repair of CSF leaks

1 July 2017 | | Anterior skull base, cerebrospinal fluid leak or fistula, CSF leak or fistula, intrathecal fluorescein, fascia lata

This Italian study was a retrospective review of 110 consecutive patients who underwent repair of their CSF leak via the transnasal endoscopic approach from 2003 to 2013. All surgery was performed by the same primary surgeon and patients with a...

A new hydrogel dural sealant for CSF repair

1 July 2017 | | Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leaks, Dural repair, Dural sealant, Hydrogel, dermatology

This paper reports the findings of a multicentre prospective randomised trial conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of the Adherus Dural Sealant for FDA approval. The Adherus Dural Sealant was compared with the control, DuraSeal Dural Sealant. It was applied to...

Outpatient closure of CSF leaks: a good idea or a step too far?

1 January 2017 | | ambulatory surgery, anterior skull base, cerebrospinal fluid leak, cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, endoscopic, outpatient, skull-base defect, spontaneous CSF leak

After day-case septoplasty, day case thyroidectomy, now day case CSF leak repair – has the pendulum moved too far? The authors put forward a convincing case for what, only 10 years ago, would have sounded like a provocation. They quote...