Iatrogenic Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea after Nasopharyngeal Swab Testing for COVID-19: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Nasopharyngeal swabs are performed to collect material for diagnosing diseases affecting the respiratory system, such as COVID-19. The nasopharyngeal swabs have been used excessively since the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020. Although it is considered a safe procedure, few cases arise for patients who develop critical complications such as traumatic nasal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. In this paper, we report a middle-aged woman who developed a right-sided anterior skull base injury and CSF leak, and we will review the 19 previously reported cases that had the same complication. In summary, 70% of those reported patients leaked from the ethmoidal roof, 25% from the sphenoid sinus, while one patient’s site of leak has not been specified. Five patients were managed conservatively, while the other 15 were managed with endoscopic repair.