Traumatic Intracranial Aerocele With Progressive Blindness - A case report.

BACKGROUND Traumatic intracranial aerocele, also known as pneumocephalus, is an uncommon condition that may be asymptomatic or may present with progressive neurological deficits and life threatening conditions that demand urgent decompressive craniotomy to reduce the acute rise in intracranial pressure and the sequelae. AIMS & OBJECTIVES A high degree of suspicion and continuous neurological monitoring are essential for the early detection and the prompt neurosurgical intervention demanded for the achievement of a good outcome in patients following traumatic acute severe head injury with life threatening neurological complications. METHOD Presentation of a young motorcyclist who was not wearing a crash helmet and was involved in a road traffic accident in which he sustained a compound cranio-facial injury with loss of consciousness and symptomatic intracranial aerocele. RESULTS The case of a 28-year old motorcyclist without a helmet, following a road traffic accident, sustained compound skull fracture with CSF rhinorrhea, ventricular aerocele and progressive blindness who recovered his vision fully following bitemporal decompressive craniotomy. CONCLUSION A high index of suspicion enabled early detection and prompt decompressive craniotomy that stemmed the progressive loss of vision in this patient with an uncommon but symptomatic intracranial aerocele and cranio-facial compound head injury.