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Case Reports
. 2013 Mar 25:4:37.
doi: 10.4103/2152-7806.109537. Print 2013.

Posttraumatic delayed subdural tension pneumocephalus

Volodymyr O Solomiichuk  1 , Vitaliy O Lebed, Konstantin I Drizhdov
Affiliations
Case Reports

Posttraumatic delayed subdural tension pneumocephalus

Volodymyr O Solomiichuk et al. Surg Neurol Int. .

Abstract

Background: Pneumocephalus is a complication of head injury in 3.9-9.7% of the cases, it also appears after supratentorial craniotomy in 100% of cases. The accumulation of intracranial air can be acute (<72 hours) or delayed (≥72 hours). When intracranial air causes intracranial hypertension and has a mass-effect with neurological deterioration, it is called tension pneumocephalus.

Case description: We represent a clinical case of a 75-year-old male patient with open penetrating head injury, complicated by tension pneumocephalus on the fifth day after trauma and underwent urgent surgical correction. Operation performed: Burr-hole placement in the right frontal region, evacuation of tension pneumocephalus.

Conclusion: Tension pneumocephalus is a life-threatening neurosurgical emergency case, which needs to undergo immediate surgical or conservative treatment.

Keywords: Computed tomography scan; cerebrospinal fluid leak; craniofacial trauma; head injury; tension pneumocephalus.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CT scans on patients admitting to hospital: Fracture of frontal sinus and minimal pneumocephalus
Figure 2
Figure 2
“Mount Fuji sign”
Figure 3
Figure 3
Postoperative residual air
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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