A Systematic Review of the Endoscopic Repair of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks

Objectives. To provide an up-to-date review of the literature on the safety and efficacy of the endoscopic technique for cerebrospinal (CSF) leak repairs. Data Sources. PubMed, Medline/Old Medline, and Cochrane Central databases. Review Methods. Using the above outlined data sources, studies involving the endoscopic repair of CSF leaks were reviewed independently by 2 researchers. Studies included met the following criteria: full-text article written in the English language, at least 5 human patients undergoing purely endoscopic surgical repair of a CSF leak, and documented follow-up. Data extracted included leak etiology, presentation and location, the use of imaging, intrathecal fluorescein, and adjunctive measures as well as the success rate of the repair. Results. Fifty-five studies, involving 1778 fistulae repairs, were included for analysis. Spontaneous leaks were most prevalent, with the ethmoid roof and sphenoid the most common sites involved. The overall success rate of repair was high at 90% for primary and 97% for secondary repairs. A low complication rate of less than 0.03% was reported. Conclusion. The endoscopic repair of CSF fistula is both safe and effective and should be considered the standard of care for most cases. Evidence supporting adjunctive measures such as lumbar drains and antibiotics remains limited despite their common use.