title: Spontaneous Nontraumatic Pneumocephalus: A Case Report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spontaneous pneumocephalus without any pathological condition is very rare. We described a patient with spontaneous pneumocephalus probably arising from the relatively enlarged air-filling sphenoid sinus.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 51-year-old woman admitted Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran with a sudden onset of severe headache and nausea without any neurological deficit. Brain computed tomography (CT) scan was performed to role out any pathology in the brain. Brain CT revealed large ethmoidal and sphenoid sinuses and disseminated intracranial pneumocephalus. A Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) examination was performed to rule out meningitis. Further evaluation confirmed a small defect in the sphenoid sinus. She has no recurrent headache or other symptoms after about six-month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An extremely rare condition, a spontaneous intracranial pneumocephalus with skull base defect origin could be considered as a possible diagnosis in patients with sudden and severe headache. We can safely conclude that medical treatment and close follow-up is an effective mode of therapy in this patient.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Mashhad, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pishbin
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Mashhad, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Neda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Azarfardian
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Mashhad, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salarirad
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Mashhad, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ganjeifar
keywords: Pneumocephalus; Sphenoid Sinus; Spontaneous; Traumatic