CSF leak (Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak)

A healthcare provider can diagnose a CSF leak using a physical examination, along with gathering information about your symptoms, and asking questions about your medical history and circumstances. It’s also very likely that they’ll use certain kinds of lab tests and diagnostic imaging scans to confirm or rule out a CSF leak.

The combination of tests and methods they use depends on the suspected location of the leak, and whether or not you have any injuries (past or present) that could play a role.

What tests will be done to diagnose this condition?

There are several possible tests for CSF leaks. Most of them are imaging tests, which offer healthcare providers a way to look inside your head and back to locate possible leaks or damage that could contribute to them.

If you have CSF leak symptoms specific to your nose or face (especially a runny nose), your provider will likely want to test that fluid. The most likely lab test to help is a beta-2 transferrin test. This test looks for tau, a protein found in CSF but not in nasal mucus. Another possible test is a glucose test, as CSF has about the same amount of glucose as your blood, while nasal mucus has little-to-no glucose.

The most likely imaging and diagnostic tests include:

• Computerized tomography (CT) scans.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
• Digital subtraction angiography.
• Myelography.
• Cisternography.
• Lumbar puncture (spinal tap).*

*This is usually not a first-line test for CSF leak.