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Question
Hello doctor,
I have a traumatic brain injury, a temporal craniocerebral fracture and a brain hematoma, a hematoma in the nasal cavity and a fluid draining into the ear. So the doctor asked me if the cerebrospinal fluid leaking into the ear is dangerous? Thank you doctor.
Anonymous customer
Answer
Answered by Master, Doctor Le Hung - Department of General Surgery, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
Hello,
With the question “Is cerebrospinal fluid in the ear dangerous? ", the doctor would like to answer as follows:
Head trauma that causes a fracture of the skull floor can cause cerebrospinal fluid (a fluid that covers and protects the central nervous system) into the nose or ears. This condition may occur in 2% of medically treated traumatic brain injuries and may occur in 12-30% of patients with skull fractures.
The outflow of cerebrospinal fluid signals a communication between the brain's internal environment and the external environment, increasing the risk of nervous system infections (meningitis, encephalitis). This is a serious and potentially fatal condition.
Depending on the patient's condition and the degree of cerebrospinal fluid leakage into the ear, there are different treatment directions:
If the patient has a hematoma in the brain that requires surgery, the patient can be surgically repaired. If not, the patient can be tried conservative treatment by lying with the head elevated, leaning on the side that does not drain CSF, limiting sitting up, sneezing as well as straining when going to the toilet. A lumbar drain may be inserted to increase the success rate. After 7-10 days, the patient will be re-evaluated for cerebrospinal fluid status. Most cases will heal after 7-10 days. If you still have questions about cerebrospinal fluid draining into the ear, you can go to a hospital of Vinmec Health System for further examination and advice. Thank you for trusting and sending questions to Vinmec. Wish you a lot of health.
Best regards!
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