Other Skull Base Conditions
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In addition to tumors, Columbia experts treat a variety of other conditions that occur at the base of the skull.
See below to learn more about the conditions we treat, including causes and symptoms.
A cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) leak occurs when there is a defect or opening in the skull base, allowing the fluid that surrounds the brain to escape and drain into the nasal cavity, sinuses, or ear. Symptoms usually include a constant clear watery runny nose from one nostril. This defect or opening can occur spontaneously or be the result of a tumor, a traumatic injury, or an abnormality in how the skull base develops. If a CSF leak is not treated properly, the patient may be at increased risk of developing meningitis, a very dangerous infection.
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An encephalocele occurs when there is an opening in the skull base and part of the brain and its protective layers protrude through the opening into the sinuses or the ear. These may develop on their own over time, or they may be the result of a prior tumor, a traumatic injury, or an abnormality in how the skull base develops. Sometimes encephaloceles are associated with CSF leaks.
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