Barotrauma presenting as temporal lobe injury secondary to temporal bone rupture.
We present the case of a scuba diver who experienced acute ear pain during ascent from a dive. CT imaging was performed because of severe unrelenting headache. Blood and gas was identified within the epidural space of the middle fossa and over the petrous bone, as well as hemorrhage within the adjacent temporal lobe. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of CT-documented barotrauma affecting the brain as a result of middle-ear gas rupturing through the tegmen tympani.
Cortes
Maria D P
MD
Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Longridge
Neil S
NS
Lepawsky
Michael
M
Nugent
Robert A
RA
D000328:Adult; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004242:Diving / Q000293:injuries*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed