[The place of MRI in the study of cerebrospinal fluid fistulas]

Abstract

Results of CT and MRI explorations in 8 patients with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulae are reported and compared with surgical findings in 7. Sensitivity of MRI (CISS and fast T2 spin-echo sequences) was excellent giving perfect correlations with surgical findings in 7/7 cases. CT and MRI were found to provide complementary information suggesting they should be used in combination as first intention explorations of suspected CSF fistulae. Computerized cisternography should be used if MRI is contraindicated or if a clinically and biologically proven CSF fistulae is not visualized by CT or MRI.