title: [Cerebral pneumocephalus after epidural anesthesia: a rare complication?].
abstract: A case is reported of pneumoencephalus occurring after an accidental dural puncture during a cervical epidural puncture using the loss of resistance technique. Six ml of air were injected intrathecally. The patient recovered spontaneously within five days. This complication may occur more frequently than commonly admitted. It may be difficult to differentiate between headache due to pneumoencephalus and that by stretching of the meninges due to cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Only a CT scan can help to answer this question.
authors.affiliation: Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital de Bellevue, Saint-Etienne.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baylot
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: el Khouri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aarab
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Navez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hajjar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Auboyer
mesh_terms: D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011007:Pneumocephalus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
vernacular_title: La pneumatocèle cérébrale après anesthésie péridurale: une complication rare?