"A Man's Runny Nose Turned Out To Be His Brain Leaking Cerebral Fluid" - Kashmira Gander
Greg Phillpott’s runny nose was like an unpredictable tap, draining at random on airplanes, during conversations and even into his Thanksgiving dinner. He assumed the problem was due to allergies, until doctors alerted him it wasn’t his nose that was leaking, but his brain. Alfred Iloreta, MD, assistant professor of otolaryngology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, got to the bottom of Phillpott’s condition and diagnosed him with a cerebrospinal fluid leak. To treat Phillpotts, doctors took a flap of tissue from another part of his body to plug the leak. The grandfather spoke of the “relief” he felt at being able to breathe properly again. Dr. Iloreta explained the problem can develop into what is known as an ascending infection, enabling bacteria to “travel from the nose to the brain resulting in meningitis.”
— Alfred Marc Iloreta, MD, Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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