Determination of nasal liquorrhoea by means of radionuclide cisternography.

Ninety-two radionuclide cisternographies were performed on 88 patients with suspected nasal liquorrhoea. To identify fistulae of both traumatic and non-traumatic aetiology, 40 MBq of 169Yb-EDTA was injected to a total volume of 2 ml into the subarachnoid space usually by the cisternal route, but in some cases lumbar routes were chosen. Sixty-seven positive findings were verified by surgery, whereas no surgery was performed in 8 positive cases due to spontaneous clinical healing of the rhinorrhoea. Seventeen patients were studied who did not exhibit actual clinical signs of liquorrhoea. In each case a normal cisternogram was obtained. These cases were not operated upon. Results suggest that this investigation is a simple and reliable diagnostic tool that causes only negligible discomfort to the patient.