title: A novel cause of pneumocephalus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pneumocephalus is rare, mostly arising as a complication of surgery, trauma, infection, or neoplasm.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to briefly discuss the etiology and Emergency Department evaluation of patients with pneumocephalus.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a case of a spontaneous esophageal-arachnoid fistula in a patient with stage IV non-small cell carcinoma leading to spontaneous pneumocephalus with resulting meningitis and death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although usually asymptomatic, pneumocephalus can lead to tension pneumocephalus, a potentially fatal condition, or septic meningitis, if it is the result of infection from gas-producing bacteria.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors: Bryan
authors: B
authors: Marchant
authors: Johnathan M
authors: JM
authors: Sheele
mesh_terms: D001099:Arachnoid; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000150:complications; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004937:Esophageal Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008581:Meningitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011007:Pneumocephalus / Q000209:etiology*; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed