Frequency of CSF Rhinorrhea in Patients with Skull Base Fractures

Background: To determine the frequency of CSF rhinorrhea in patients presenting with skull base fractures. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study at the Department of Neurosurgery, PGMI/Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar for six months in which patients were included through nonprobability convenience sampling. Included were patients who had radiologically confirmed skull base fractures at presentation. The data on clinical presentations, demographics, and the existence of CSF rhinorrhoea was collected and analyzed through SPSS. Results: A total of 87 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 41.56±1.35 years. The majority of the patients were males 50(57.5%) as compared to females 37(42.5%). Grade of Head Injury determined showed that patients in the mild category were 30(34.5%), moderate was 39(44.8%) while those in the severe category were 18(20.7%) Prevalence of CSF Rhinorrhea among patients was 56(64.4%). Conclusion: The results of our study concluded that CSF rhinorrhoea is a prevalent consequence of skull base fractures. Meningitis and other potentially fatal consequences can be avoided with early detection and prompt treatment. Those persisting for more than seven to ten days have a high risk of developing meningitis and are more likely to need surgical intervention.