Cerebrospinal fluid leak after nasopharyngeal swab testing for COVID-19. A report of two cases

Abstract

One of the cornerstones in the management of coronavirus pandemic is the early identification of virus presence in patients. The most used test is the nasopharyngeal swab, used to amplify nucleic acids through polymerase chain reaction. Complications with this test have not been completely characterized. Until now, only one international report of cerebrospinal fluid leak has been reported. We present two cases of leak after nasopharyngeal swab test: the first case corresponded to an adult feminine gender patient with suspected idiopathic intracranial hypertension, whose gap was surgically repaired; the second case adult male patient with medical history of hydrocephalus and neonatal meningitis who was further studied for rhinoliquorrhea that showed a meningoencephalocele occupying the right frontal recess.