Important Announcements

Nondiscrimination Statement Update

Boston Medical Center Health System complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency and primary language), religion, culture, physical or mental disabilities, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression. BMCHS provides free aids and services to people with disabilities and free language services to people whose primary language is not English.

To see our full nondiscrimination statement, click here.

Campus Construction Update

Starting September 14, we’re closing the Menino building lobby entrance. This, along with the ongoing Yawkey building entrance closure, will help us bring you an even better campus experience that matches the exceptional care you've come to expect. Please enter the Menino and Yawkey buildings through the Moakley building, and make sure to leave extra time to get to your appointment. Thank you for your patience. 

Click here to learn more about our campus redesign. 

Spinal Fluid Leaks


Spinal fluid, also called cerebrospinal fluid, surrounds your brain and spinal cord and helps protect them from getting injured. But if you get a tear in the outermost layer surrounding the brain and spinal cord, called the dura mater, it can lead to a spinal fluid leak or cerebrospinal fluid leak (CFS). 

A spinal CFS leak can happen anywhere in the spinal column and usually causes a headache. A cranial CFS leak happens in the skull and usually causes clear fluid to leak from your nose or ear.

In some cases, the hole will close with rest and time. In other cases, you may need surgery to repair the hole and stop the leak.

A hole in the dura mater may be caused by an injury to the head or spine, certain surgeries, inner ear malformations, bone spurs, and more.

Departments and Programs Who Treat This Condition

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Neurosurgery

We provide comprehensive surgical treatment of the spine for trauma, degenerative conditions, congenital problems, and more. Our surgeons are experts in less invasive surgical tec…
Neurosurgery
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Skull Base Surgery

Our neurosurgeons treat both cancerous and benign skull base tumors, offering the latest surgeries, as well as non-surgical options, to help you achieve your best quality of life.
Skull Base Surgery