Spinal cerebrospinal fluid leakage after motor vehicle accident.

Two patients presented with spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage manifesting as chronic disabling headache and other symptoms after motor vehicle accidents. Combined radioisotope cisternography and computed tomography myelography confirmed the presence of the spinal leaks in the lumbar spine. Radioisotope cisternography has limited spatial resolution, so there is persistent and probably unfair mistrust in its reliability. The present 2 cases confirmed the diagnosis and support the causal relationship between motor vehicle accidents and spinal CSF leakage.