Danielle Heller had a runny nose that just wouldn’t stop and the constant leaking was driving the 46-year-old business owner crazy. Her doctor suggested over-the-counter allergy medication and told her to steer clear of air conditioners, but to no avail.
“I’ve had runny noses before just like everyone else, but not like this,” said Heller. “No amount of allergy medication, nose spray or Kleenex would stop the seemingly endless flow.”
After repeated trips to her family doctor to locate the source, she finally underwent a CT scan where the radiologist mistakenly thought that she had bleeding in her brain. Afraid that she might suffer a stroke, she was emergency air lifted from her home in Palmdale to Los Robles Regional Medical Center where she was immediately treated by the medical team from California Institute of Neuroscience in Thousand Oaks.
The Institute’s skull base neurosurgeon Martin Mortazavi, M.D. finally determined the true source of the problem — she was suffering from a cerebrospinal fluid leak (CSF leak) that drained from her brain into her nasal cavity. These are caused when holes are formed in the membrane surrounding the brain and fluid starts draining from it. These ruptures can be caused by physical trauma, complications from medical procedures (e.g., sinus surgery, lumbar punctures, etc) or, as was true in Heller’s case, for reasons unknown. Whatever the cause, CSF leaks can prove deadly if infection sets in.
“In addition to a chronic runny nose, the most common symptom of CSF leaks are painful headaches often triggered when patients sit or walk. It’s often referred to as a spinal headache,” said Mortazavi, founder and medical director of the California Institute of Neuroscience. “The real danger facing Danielle was contracting meningitis, an infection that can prove deadly if the patient isn’t treated in time.”
Added the Institute’s neurologist Ajeet Sodhi, M.D., “Danielle actually had multiple holes in the membrane that surrounds and supports the sinus system called the dura mater and it has several functions. In addition to holding the CSF that absorbs pressure and protects the brain, it also supplies the necessary nutrients to keep it healthy.”
Added board-certified ENT surgeon Farhad Ardeshirpour, M.D., who performed the minimally invasive surgery with Mortazavi, “We inserted the scope through the patient’s nose to remove cartilage, which we then used to fill in the holes. We’re happy to report that she has fully recovered and is no longer in danger.”
“I thank Drs. Mortazavi, Sodhi and Ardeshirpour and the team at the California Institute of Neuroscience for saving my life. They used their considerable knowledge, experience and skills to finally correct my problem,” said Heller, who is in the process of adopting an 11-year-old girl. “I feel like I have a new lease on life and can’t wait to start my next chapter.”
California Institute of Neuroscience has earned a stellar reputation in the prevention, diagnosis, surgical treatment and post-surgical aspects of a range of disorders affecting the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and cerebrovascular system. The team, who are experts at treating aneurysms, AVM, skull base tumors such as pituitary tumors, acoustic neuromas, and meningiomas, trigeminal neuralgia, and any other medical condition related to the brain and spine, employ the safest and latest technology to give patients a new lease on life.
Among the areas of specialty: neurology, neurosurgery, psychology, psychiatry, cranial maxillofacial plastic surgery, spine/peripheral neurosurgery and neuro-ophthalmology. These comprehensive services offer the patient a holistic approach to care not commonly found in typical neurosurgical practices. Visit cineuro.org or call (805) 795-7656.