[Traumatic nasal cerebrospinal fluid fistula: report of 86 cases].

The clinical record of 86 cases of traumatic nasal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula treated either surgically or conservatively between 1997 and 2001 was retrieved and analyzed. The fistula completely healed in 15 surgically treated patients (17.4%) and 71 conservatively treated patients (82.6%), and in the follow-up observation, recurrence was identified in none of the cases. Our experience approves the importance of head position, lowering intracranial pressure and application of antibiotics in the conservative therapy, and for surgical treatment, water-tight closure of the dura fistula should be performed.