Detection of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea.

Radionuclide cisternography (RS) is a highly sensitive, reliable and safe technique used for the confirmation of the presence of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea and the localisation of fistula. The authors describe a patient aged 53 years old with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea detected by RS. This kind of rhinorrhea is very rare. After measuring the radioactivity of the nasal wads and examining the RS images, no obvious cause of this rhinorrhea was found. The patient was operated and dura mater cerebroplasty in the anterior cranial fossa was performed. No other cause of rhinorrhea was found during the operation. After the operation the rhinorrhea ceased. The authors report this case because spontaneous rhinorrhea is rare and is well treated by dura mater cerebroplasty.