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View Full Version : Intermittent CSF leak?




taylord
01-31-2012, 03:01 PM
About a week ago, I had a water-like substance dripping like a faucet from my left nostril. It continued for approximately 7 days - when I made it to the ENT it was no longer producing at the same rate. (Only when I woke up, or during exercise would it seem to start dripping.)

I have a history of headaches/blurred-vision/altered consciousness (9 months) and tinnitus (4 months)

The ENT assured me that if it was a CSF leak, it would continue to produce, and if I leaned forward, it should drip - though it did not while in the office. He examined my nose with an endoscope and saw nothing unusual.

Is this still a possible case of a CSF leak? I am not a doctor by any means, but I did do a little research and the possibility of increased intracranial hypertension resulting in a CSF leak (see attachment) seems at least plausible. My initial symptoms seem to have lined up with increased intracranial hypertension, although I never got a spinal tap pressure reading, and the brain MRI (w/o gad) was unremarkable.

My main question is, does anyone have experience with CSF rhinorrhea that comes and goes? Or is it something that comes and stays until repaired?