Post-traumatic Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage: A Risk Indicator to Predict Outcome Following Traumatic Brain Injury?

Background/Purpose: The aim of the present study was to review the clinical manifestations, risk factors and outcome in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients with post-traumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 1,323 patients who were identified with CSF leakage that occurred after head trauma. Results: Patients complicated with CSF leakage manifested a more rigorous clinical course and poorer outcome compared to patients with other TBI features: in mild head injury, patients with brain injury complicated with CSF leakage alone had a 24.5% risk ratio for developing intracranial hemorrhage, and the presence of post-traumatic CSF leakage with or without skull fracture resulted in a higher percentage of fatality. Conclusion: Post-traumatic CSF leakage amongst head injury patients has serious complications in nonfatal TBI cases, and indicates a risk of developing post-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage as the patients' final outcome.