Cerebrospinal fluid leak care at Mayo Clinic
Your Mayo Clinic care team
Mayo Clinic offers a multidisciplinary, specialized team of CSF experts including neurologists, neurosurgeons, ear nose and throat (ENT) specialists, imaging specialists (radiologists), and other specialty professionals who work together to provide exactly the care you need. Within days, patients at Mayo Clinic can see multiple specialists, have required diagnostic testing, and undergo treatment — a process that may take months somewhere else.
Advanced diagnosis and treatment
Doctors at Mayo Clinic have access to the latest imaging techniques and ongoing research, which allows them to provide an efficient and accurate diagnosis of a CSF leak. Mayo Clinic uses a state-of-the-art imaging tool called the photon counting detector CT myelogram to make it much easier to locate spinal CSF leaks.
Mayo Clinic's imaging protocol for suspected CSF leaks includes high-resolution MRI and CT of the brain, which measures abnormalities down to the millimeter, and high-resolution MRI of the spine, which identifies tiny areas of fluid outside the dural space. These highly specialized techniques help experts determine what type of myelogram should be used to find the exact location of the CSF leak.
Finding the precise location of the CSF leak and identifying the type of leak allows Mayo Clinic experts to identify the right treatment plan, which means treatment can be much more effective.
CSF leak treatment may include endovascular (catheter-based) or open spine surgery. Mayo Clinic's experienced interventional radiologists and neurosurgeons are trained to provide a number of different surgical treatment options, depending on the cause of your CSF leak.
The Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, specializes in treating CSF disorders. The clinic offers timely evaluation from a multidisciplinary team and a personalized plan of care.
Expertise and rankings
- Experience. Mayo Clinic's physicians and surgeons provide comprehensive care for more than 725 people with CSF leaks every year.
- Surgical expertise. Mayo Clinic doctors offer several surgical treatment options for CSF leaks. If you need surgery, it will be performed by a highly trained and experienced neurosurgical expert or an ENT expert. Whenever possible, Mayo Clinic surgeons use new, minimally invasive procedures.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is ranked among the Best Hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery and rehabilitation by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Minnesota, and the five-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2024-2025 "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings.
Learn more about Mayo Clinic's neurology and neurosurgery departments' expertise and rankings.
Locations, travel and lodging
Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.
For more information on visiting Mayo Clinic, choose your location below:
Costs and insurance
Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.
In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.
Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.
Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.
Nov. 21, 2023