“How to help a child with a leak of cerebral spinal fluid?”

There are two types of cerebral spinal fluid (CFS) leaks with different symptoms, different causes, and different treatments. These are spinal leaks and cranial leaks. Spinal leaks occur anywhere in the spinal column. A cranial leak occurs in the skull. The most common symptoms on the spinal CSF leak are a headache, while cranial CSF leak causes symptoms such as clear fluid leaking from the nose and ear. The most common symptoms of CSF leak are pain in the back of the head, pian improve when lying down, however it worsens when standing. Also, may worsen on exertion (coughing or straining). It rarely starts suddenly, and other symptoms are shoulder pain, ringing or ears (tinnitus), change in hearing, dizziness, change in vision, and change in behavior. Some cranial leaks improve with conservative methods such as bed rest, elevating the head of the bed, and taking stool softeners to prevent straining. Treatment for spinal leaks may include an epidural patch (involve taking a sample of your own blood, in this case your son’s blood, then injecting it into the spinal canal. It will form a clot and creates a patch that covers where the CSF is leaking), Sealant (special sealant use along with blood and used the same way as previously).and Surgery (only performed when all other options has failed). Trans-venous embolization is a new minimally invasive procedure, a catheter-based treatment for CSF-venous fistulas only that involves gluing shut the fistula from inside the culprit vein. Check with your son’s doctor for treatment as necessary. Follow conservative measure first to alleviate the symptoms in the meantime. Thank you.

By a pediatric neurosurgeon and should be considered an emergency

They need a shunt. The neurosurgeon will advise

Depending on how much and where the origin of the leak is, it usually requires surgery.