Gas within the intracranial cavity (pneumocephalus) commonly results from trauma or after surgery and rarely from infection by gas-forming organisms. The presence of pneumocephalus in the absence of injury or surgery should raise the suspicion of anaerobic infection of the central nervous system. I present a case of pneumocephalus associated with Bacteroides fragilis meningitis where the diagno...

BACKGROUND Pneumocephalus is commonly encountered after neurosurgical procedures but can also be caused by craniofacial trauma and tumors of the skull base and rarely, can occur spontaneously. Contributing factors for the development of pneumocephalus include head position, duration of surgery, nitrous oxide (N(2)O) anesthesia, hydrocephalus, intraoperative osmotherapy, hyperventilation, spinal...

conclusions an extremely rare condition, a spontaneous intracranial pneumocephalus with skull base defect origin could be considered as a possible diagnosis in patients with sudden and severe headache. we can safely conclude that medical treatment and close follow-up is an effective mode of therapy in this patient. introduction spontaneous pneumocephalus without any pathological condition is ve...

We tested the hypothesis that 5 cm H2O of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) reduces the incidence of pneumocephalus in patients who undergo spinal intradural tumor surgery. Fifty-three ASA I to III patients who underwent thoracolumbar intradural tumor surgery between the years 2003 and 2006 were included in this study. All patients received propofol, fentanyl, and cisatracurium for induct...

Pneumocephalus (Intracranial aerocele), defined as intracranial air, is an uncommon complication in head injury patients. It can present immediately following head trauma or be delayed for many days before clinical symptoms occur. We present two cases of extensive pneumocephalus after trauma. The diagnosis was made by computed tomography (CT). When pneumocephalus is suspected, CT can play a vit...

BACKGROUND To report a case of fatal tension pneumocephalus in a 9-year-old boy following a severe motor vehicle accident. METHODS A young boy with a serious closed head injury was resuscitated in the emergency room and underwent CT scan of the head and orbits. RESULTS The CT-scan revealed a fracture of the orbital roof with extensive bilateral pneumocephalus. CONCLUSIONS A high index of ...

Tension pneumocephalus can lead to rapid neurologic deterioration. We report for the first time its association with aseptic systemic inflammatory response syndrome mimicking septic shock and the efficacy of prompt neurosurgical intervention and critical care support in treating this condition. A 64-year-old man underwent 2-stage olfactory groove meningioma resection. The patient developed alte...

Tension pneumocephalus is a rare and life threatening complication of intracranial surgical procedures, and requires immediate recognition and surgical intervention. Tension pneumocephalus following ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery is extremely rare and commonly seen as a delayed complication. To our knowledge, early postoperative tension pneumocephalus after shunt surgery was reported only i...

Pneumocephalus is a condition characterized by the presence of air in the cranium, and it is mainly caused by trauma or a neurosurgical procedure. In the absence of head trauma or a neurosurgical procedure, meningitis is an extremely rare cause of pneumocephalus. Here, the authors present a rare case of spontaneous pneumocephalus caused by pneumococcal meningitis, in which simple lateral radiog...