POSTTRAUMATIC CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID RHINORRHEA - MODERN HIGH-DEFINITIONCOMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY IS ALL THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE EFFECTIVE DEMONSTRATION OF THE SITE OF LEAKAGE

Accurate definition of the site of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage i s essential for the successful surgical management of CSF rhinorrhoea and associated recurrent meningitis. Previous attempts to image the si tes of leakage, including conventional computed tomography (CT) and ci sternography using either iodine-containing contrast media or radionuc lides, have given disappointing results.A dedicated high-resolution co mputed tomographic (CT) technique combining fine slices in two planes with a bone algorithm for data manipulation is described and the resul ts in 15 consecutive patients are recorded. This technique promises to render all other diagnostic methods obsolete.