Pneumocephalus
As pneumocephalus even Pneumocephalus , rare Pneumencephalus , the presence of gases, as a rule, will air within the cranial cavity called. Pneumocephalus is usually caused by traumatic brain injury with a fracture of the skull bone. It is also often seen after surgery on the open brain or in the ENT medical field. A spontaneous or infection-related perforation of the cranial bone , which is partially paper-thin in these areas, can lead to air penetration into the intracranial space in the area of the pneumatized paranasal sinuses , the middle ear and the mastoid . This is occasionally associated with oto- or rhinoliquorrhea , the discharge of cerebrospinal fluid from the ear or nose.
In computed tomography (CT), the gas bubbles are clearly demarcated from the tissue; some of them can already be seen in a normal x-ray . In the supine position, which is common in CT, the gas bubbles usually rise and collect in front of the frontal lobes . In English-speaking countries this is known as the "Mount Fuji sign".
The symptoms of pneumocephalus are non-specific and include headaches, nausea, and impaired consciousness. The symptoms are caused by increased intracranial pressure , which is accompanied by the possibility of lower entrapment (herniation). Pneumocephalus is usually an acute condition as air is absorbed relatively quickly.
literature
- Clemens M. Schirmer, Carl B. Heilman, Anish Bhardwaj: Pneumocephalus: Case Illustrations and Review. In: Neurocritical Care. 13, 2010, pp. 152-158, doi : 10.1007 / s12028-010-9363-0
