Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea following surgery for acoustic neurinoma

In a series of 48 patients with acoustic neurinoma removed by the suboccipital route, one patient developed cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea and another patient had delayed-onset meningitis. Each complication was attributed to opening the posteromedial air-cell tract in the posterior wall of the internal auditory meatus. In operations requiring removal of the posterior meatal wall, it is important to look for the air-cell tract which may not be apparent on computerized tomography. If the tract is opened the cells should be occluded by bone wax.