[Cerebrospinal fluid fistula following an operation of mediastinal schwannoma: a case report].

A 33-year-old man was operated for the mediastinal schwannoma. During the operation, the 9 th intercostal nerve was avulsed and revealed liquorrhea. Lyodura and fibrin glue was applied for sealing the site of dural defect. But post-operative course was not successful. So, we used the external cerebrospinal fluid drainage system. After this procedure, thoracic fluid from the chest tube was reduced and we could remove the chest tube in the 20th post operative day. This case indicates that in case of thoracotomy, it is difficult to expect easy closure of cerebrospinal fluid fistula under conservative therapy. Therefore it was considered that specific repair during the operation and spinal drainage in the post-operative early phase should be performed.