Free Middle Turbinate Flap for Repair of Low Flow Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea results from an abnormal communication between the sinonasal cavity and the subarachnoid space. It may occur spontaneously or secondary to accidental or iatrogenic trauma. CSF leak is a potentially devastating condition that can lead to ascending meningitis, pneumocephalus, and intracranial abscess. Surgical repair is recommended for most patients with CSF leaks to prevent the potential sequelae.

Multiple graft materials have been employed in the approach, including temporalis fascia, middle turbinate flap, fascia lata, fat, free cartilage or bone, vascularized nasoseptal flap and acellular skin grafts. Among these options, vascular nasoseptal flaps are the most popular materials at present. Limited literature has been reported the use of free middle turbinate flap during an endoscopic approach to treat CSF rhinorrhea, and the results were inconclusive. There were a large number of cases using free middle turbinate flap for CSF rhinorrhea repair in our institution. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of the free middle turbinate flap for repair of CSF rhinorrhea.