OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study is to review cerebrospinal fluid leakage (CSFL) after thoracic decompression and describe its regular and special features.

DATA SOURCESLiterature cited in this review was retrieved from PubMed and Medline and was primarily published during the last 10 years. "Cerebrospinal fluid", "leakage", "dural tears", and "thoracic decompression" were the indexed terms. Relevant citations in the retrieved articles were also screened to include more data.

STUDY SELECTIONAll retrieved literature was scrutinized, and four categories were recorded: incidence and risk factors, complications, treatment modalities, and prognosis.

RESULTSCSFL is much more frequent after thoracic decompression than after cervical and lumbar spinal surgeries. Its occurrence is related to many clinical factors, especially the presence of ossified ligaments and the adhesion of the dural sac. While its impact on the late neurological recovery is currently controversial, CSFL increases the risk of other perioperative complications, such as low intracranial pressure symptoms, infection, and vascular events. The combined use of primary repairs during the operation and conservative treatment postoperatively is generally effective for most CSFL cases, whereas lumbar drains and reoperations should be implemented as rescue options for refractory cases only.

CONCLUSIONSCSFL after thoracic decompression has not been specifically investigated, so the present study provides a systematic and comprehensive review of the issue. CSFL is a multi-factor-related complication, and pathological factors play a decisive role. The importance of CSFL is in its impact on the increased risk of other complications during the postoperative period. Methods to prevent these complications are in need. In addition, though the required treatment resources are not special for CSFL after thoracic decompression, most CSFL cases are conservatively curable, and surgeons should be aware of it.