Complications after endoscopic sinus surgery are rare and occur in about 0.5 % of all cases. However postoperative symptoms such as severe cephalgia and nasal discharge of clear fluids indicate a cerebrospinal fluid leakage.
Case: A 64 year-old-patient presented to our clinic four months after an endoscopic sinus surgery complaining of the two above mentioned symptoms for about 4 weeks. In a computed tomography study of the frontobasis there was no evidence of an osseous defect. An MRI of the head revealed a bilateral temporal fluid collection as seen in bilateral chronic subdural hematoma. Therefore the present illness was no consequence of the preceding surgery.
Conclusion: Significant symptoms of severe postoperative complications after endoscopic sinus surgery can still be misleading. Therefore accurate diagnostic and imaging procedures are always crucial to support the initial diagnosis.