Perspective: Early diagnosis and treatment of postoperative recurrent cerebrospinal fluid fistulas/ dural tears to avoid adhesive arachnoiditis

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative traumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulas/dural tears (DT) occur in up to 8.7–9.5% of primary lumbar surgical procedures. Further, they recur secondarily in between 8.1% and 17% of cases. It is critical to diagnose and treat these recurrent lumbar DT early (i.e. within 3–4 weeks of the index surgery) to avoid the evolution of adhesive arachnoiditis (AA), and its’ permanent neurological sequelae. METHODS: Postoperative lumbar CSF fistulas/DT should be diagnosed on postoperative MR scans, and confirmed on Myelo-CT studies if needed. They should be definitively treated/occluded early on (e.g. within 3–4 postoperative weeks) to avoid the evolution of AA which can be readily diagnosed on MR studies, and corroborated, if warranted, on Myelo-CT examinations. The most prominent MR/Myelo-CT findings include; nerve roots aggregated in the central thecal sac, nerve roots peripherally scarred/adherent to the surrrounding meningeal wall (“empty thecal sac sign”), soft tissue masses in the subarachnoid space, and/or multiple loculated/scarred compartments. RESULTS: Percutaneous interventional procedures (i.e. epidural blood patches, injection of fibrin glue (FG)/fibrin sealants (FS)) are rarely effective for treating postoperative recurrent lumbar CSF fistulas. Rather, direct surgical occlusion is frequently warranted including the use of; an operating microscope, adequate surgical exposure, 7-0 Gore-Tex sutures, muscle/dural patch grafts or suture anchors, followed by the application of microfibrillar collagen, and fibrin sealant/glue. CONCLUSION: Lumbar AA most commonly results from the early failure to diagnose and treat recurrent postoperative CSF fistulas. Since the clinical course of lumbar AA is typically one of progressive neurological deterioration, avoiding its’ initial onset is key.