title: Pneumocephalus Following Severe Head Trauma.
abstract: It is important to be alert to the possibility of pneumocephalus in patients with head injury. Pneumocephalus is a potentially lethal complication in patients with craniofacial fractures following severe head trauma. A patient presented with intracranial air after he fell down from a height of 4 m. The patient recovered without any neurological deficits after conservative treatment. A time sequence of cerebral CT scans shows how the pneumocephalus developed and finally resolved without surgical intervention. The etiology, diagnosis, treatment and possible complications of this injury are discussed briefly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, G04-228, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dennis E J G J
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Dolmans
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maurice A A J
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van den Bosch
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, G04-228, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands. l.p.h.leenen@umcutrecht.nl.|Department of Surgery, G04-228, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands. l.p.h.leenen@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Loek P H
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Leenen
keywords: Diagnosis; Pneumocephalus; Trauma; Treatment
references.citation: Ann Emerg Med. 1996 Oct;28(4):446-9
references.pmid: 8839534
references.citation: Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1986;80(3-4):93-9
references.pmid: 3716896
references.citation: Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1967;16(1):1-78
references.pmid: 6032371
references.citation: J Trauma. 1990 Dec;30(12 ):1577-80
references.pmid: 2258975
references.citation: J Neurosurg. 2004 Nov;101(5):757-61
references.pmid: 15540912
references.citation: Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2002 May;12 (2):325-38, ix
references.pmid: 12391639
references.citation: Br J Surg. 1974 Apr;61(4):307-12
references.pmid: 4832638
references.citation: Am J Emerg Med. 2006 Sep;24(5):628-9
references.pmid: 16938609
references.citation: Trials. 2006 Jan 18;7:2
references.pmid: 16542035
references.citation: Emerg Med J. 2006 Apr;23 (4):324
references.pmid: 16549588