Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage (Liquorrhea) Management in Heads Traumas

---

Résumé

Abstract: Introduction. Liquorrhea is a leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into an air cavity of the skull base through an
osteomeningeal breach which can exit through nos and / or ear. Highlighting the breach and closing it is sometimes very
difficult. The aim of this work was to study cerebrospinal fluid liquorrhea management in our work environment. Method. This
was a retrospective study over 05 years (2010-2014). We included any cases of liquorrhea managed in the neurosurgery
department of Yalgado Ouédraaogo teacching hospital in Ouagadougou. Results. Thirty-five cases were included, they were 34
male and 1 female. The average age was 31.6 years. Liquorrhea was the reason for admission in 11 cases. Physical
examination found rhinorrhea in 24 cases, otorrhea in 9 cases and oto-rhinorrhea in 2 cases. A fracture line was objectified one
CT scan in all patients. This fracture line could explain the liquorrhea in 24 cases. Conservative treatment was performed in 33
cases. Two patients were opered. Outcome was favorable in 33 patients. One patient died of meningitis. Conclusion.
Highlighting of the breach was difficult in our work context where CT-scan can provide good orientations. Treatment was
essentially conservative; prognosis very often favorable except in the event of a complication such as meningitis.

Mots-clés

Rhinorrhea, Otorrhea, Head Trauma