title: Spinal epidural air after severe pelvic and abdominal trauma.
abstract: Air in the lumbar spinal canal after trauma is uncommon. However, it can be observed in a number of pathologic settings including tumor, infection, degenerative disk disease, and in patients who have undergone therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. Intraspinal gas is usually asymptomatic. We report a case of a motorcycle accident resulting in a complex open pelvic and multiple long bone fractures. Air was discovered within the spinal canal between levels L3 and L5 on a computed tomographic scan. This case provides further evidence that intraspinal air may remain without symptoms and that possible resultant symptoms and the air can disappear spontaneously.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Cantonal Hospital St Gallen, 9000 St Gallen, Switzerland. ogautschi@datacomm.ch
authors.forename: Oliver P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Gautschi
authors.forename: Christel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cadosch
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004824:Epidural Space / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005740:Gases; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000293:injuries*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D005740:Gases