Introduction Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is increasingly recognized as a cause of spontaneous cerebrospinal (CSF) leak in the ENT and neurosurgical literature. The diagnosis of IIH in patients with spontaneous CSF leaks is classically made a few weeks after surgical repair of the CSF leak when symptoms and signs of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) appear. Methods Case reports and literature review. Two young obese women developed spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea related to an empty sella in one, and a cribriform plate encephalocele in the other. Both patients underwent surgical repair of the CSF leak. A few weeks later, they developed chronic headaches and bilateral papilledema. Lumbar punctures showed elevated CSF-opening pressures with normal CSF contents, with temporary improvement of headaches. A man with a three-year history of untreated IIH developed spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea. He experienced improvement of his headaches and papilledema after a CSF shunting procedure, and the rhinorrhea resolved after endoscopic repair of the leak. Results These cases and the literature review confirm a definite association between IIH and spontaneous CSF leak based on: 1) similar demographics; 2) increased ICP in some patients with spontaneous CSF leak after leak repair; 3) higher rate of leak recurrence in patients with raised ICP; 4) patients with intracranial hypertension secondary to tumors may develop CSF leak, confirming that raised ICP from other causes than IIH can cause CSF leak. Conclusions CSF leak may occasionally keep IIH patients symptom-free; however, classic symptoms and signs of intracranial hypertension may develop after the CSF leak is repaired, exposing these patients to a high risk of recurrence of the leak unless an ICP-lowering intervention is performed.