Incidence of Postoperative CSF Leak Using a Single-Layer Closure with Acellular Dermal Allograft for Anterior Skull Base Defects

Background: Postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak following endoscopic skull base surgery is a serious and potentially life-threatening complication. Various closure techniques often involving multiple layers have been proposed to minimize postoperative complications. Autologous materials, such as the pedicled nasoseptal flap or abdominal fat graft, can be associated with donor site morbidity. Thus, there has been significant interest in the use of synthetic materials. The objective of this study was to report the incidence of postoperative CSF leaks following repair of anterior skull base defects with a single layer closure using acellular dermal graft (alloderm) for sellar tumors.