Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea is the result of transdural communicati
on between the subarachnoid space and the skull base. A transdural fis
tula may originate from the anterior, middle, or posterior cranial com
partments. All skull-base sites of leakage potentially lead to the nas
al cavity. Recurrent meningitis is commonly associated with such a dir
ect source of bacterial contamination. Organisms associated with recur
rent meningitis secondary to cerebrospinal fluid leaks are commonly fo
und in the upper respiratory tract. We report a case of recurrent meni
ngitis in a 5-year-old girl that highlights the problem of cerebrospin
al fluid rhinorrhea, and we discuss etiology, current diagnostic techn
iques, and surgical management.