Middle turbinate graft for repair of cerebral spinal fluid leaks

Endoscopic management of CSF leaks has been reported as highly successful b y several authors. Various techniques are used for site preparation, graft selection, and graft stabilization. In this report the middle turbinate as a donor site for repair is described. Guidelines for harvest, preparation, and application are presented. The middle turbinate graft can be used as a free mucosal graft for linear cracks or small defects, as a composite bone/ mucosal graft for moderate sized defects, or as a donor site for separate b one and mucosal grafts for large defects or encephaloceles when intracrania l bone placement is desirable. Experience with 18 patients is presented wit h 100% initial graft take, and 17/18 (94%) with long term success. The midd le turbinate is an excellent source of donor material for repair of almost any endoscopically repairable CSF leak.