Repair of fistulas producing cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, as with any reconstructive operations, should take into account the basic principles of reconstructive surgery for best results: 1. tissue needing replacement should be replaced by like tissue; and 2. a flap is always superior to a graft. In the case of this disease, the tissue sealing the fistula should be a flap containing not only mucosa or mucoperiosteum, but also pedicled bone. Two kinds of regional flaps are described which successfully closed the fistula in each of three patients. Follow-up is long term.