Rapid spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak detected in the gastrointestinal tract.

There are many causes of cerebrospinal (CSF) leaks. Most cases are secondary to blunt trauma and iatrogenic trauma caused by postoperative sequelae. Occasionally, CSF leakage may occur from nontraumatic or "spontaneous" causes, such as benign intracranial hypertension and "empty sella syndrome." Mass effect due to an encephalocele or meningocele may also be seen. Radionuclide cisternography is a sensitive method of determining CSF leak when combined with intranasal cotton pledget placement and analysis. We present a spontaneous CSF fluid leak that was detected when scintigraphic activity appeared first in the gastrointestinal tract.