Delay posttraumatic paradoxical cerebrospinal fluid leak with recurrent meningitis

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea complicates 2% of all head traumas, and 12%–30% of all basilar skull fractures. Posttraumatic CSF rhinorrhea usually occurs within the first 48 h, and majority of them occur in the first 3 months, whereas delayed CSF leak beyond 3 months is rare. On the other hand, CSF usually leaks through dural tearing associated with fracture of the anterior skull base. CSF leak through fractures of middle cranial fossa to the nose through the eustachian tube is very rare. We present a 52-year-old woman with delayed posttraumatic paradoxical CSF rhinorrhea and recurrent meningitis.