CEREBRAL SPINAL FLUID LEAK DISORDERS

Course overview

CEREBROSPINAL FLUID (CSF) LEAKAGE DENOTES A COMPROMISE IN THE INTEGRITY OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND PREDISPOSES IT TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS LIKE INFECTIONS AND DIRECT INJURY TO THE PARENCHYMA, WHICH HAMPERS ITS NORMAL FUNCTIONING. THEREFORE, CSF LEAK IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ENTITY TO DETECT AND TREAT. A CSF LEAK MAY SOMETIMES POINT TOWARDS UNDERLYING PATHOLOGIES LIKE SKULL BASE FRACTURES AND TUMORS THAT CAUSE INCREASED INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE. THIS ACTIVITY DISCUSSES THE ETIOLOGY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, CLINICAL FINDINGS, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF CSF LEAK DISORDERS AND ATTEMPTS TO SIMPLIFY THE UNDERSTANDING OF THESE DISORDERS.