[Endoscopic endonasal diagnosis and treatment of basal liquorrhea and encephalocele of the anterior regions of the skull base].

Endoscopic endonasal plastic repair of cerebrospinal-fluid fistulas and meningocele of the anterior regions of the skull base is an effective and miniinvasive procedure as compared with transcranial interventions. Endoscopic techniques may be used to close skull base defects in the nasofrontal pocket, ethmoidal infundibulum, cribriform lamina, sphenoid sinus. Limitations on the use of this procedure are cases of a fistula located within the posterior wall of the frontal sinus, within the lateral wall of the large sphenoid sinus, huge or multiple posttraumatic defects of the skull bases, as well as a combination of liquorrhea basalis and acute brain injury. According to latest papers, the successful outcome of endoscopic plastic repair ranges from 86 to 97%.