title: Traumatic tension pneumocephalus - Two cases and comprehensive review of literature.
abstract: Although traumatic pneumocephalus is not uncommon, it rarely evolves into tension pneumocephalus (TP). Characterized by the presence of increasing amounts of intracranial air and concurrent appearance or worsening neurological symptoms, TP can be devastating if not recognized and treated promptly. We present two cases of traumatic TP and a concise review of literature on this topic. Two cases of traumatic TP are presented. In addition, a literature search revealed 20 additional cases, of which 18 had sufficient information for inclusion. Literature cases were combined with the 2 reported cases and analyzed for demographics, mechanism of injury, symptoms, time to presentation (acute <72 h; delayed >72 h), diagnostic/treatment modalities, and outcomes. Twenty cases were analyzed (17 males, 3 females, median age 26, range 8-92 years). Presentation was acute in 13/20 and delayed in 7/20 patients. Injury mechanisms included motor vehicle collisions (6/20), assault/blunt trauma to the craniofacial area (5), falls (4), and motorcycle/ bicycle crashes (3). Common presentations included depressed mental status (10/20), cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea (9), headache (8), and loss of consciousness (6). Computed tomography (CT) was utilized in 19/20 patients. Common underlying injuries were frontal bone/sinus fracture (9/20) and ethmoid fracture (5). Intracranial hemorrhage was seen in 5/20 patients and brain contusions in 4/20 patients. Nonoperative management was utilized in 6/20 patients. Procedural approaches included craniotomy (11/20), emergency burr hole (4), endoscopy (2), and ventriculostomy (2). Most patients responded to initial treatment (19/20). One early and one delayed death were reported. Traumatic TP is rare, tends to be associated with severe craniofacial injuries, and can occur following both blunt and penetrating injury. Early recognition and high index of clinical suspicion are important. Appropriate treatment results in improvement in vast majority of cases. CT scan is the diagnostic modality of choice for TP.
  Pillai P, Sharma R, MacKenzie L, Reilly EF, Beery II PR, Papadimos TJ, Stawicki SPA. Traumatic tension pneumocephalus: Two cases and comprehensive review of literature. OPUS 12 Scientist 2010;4(1):6-11.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Promod
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pillai
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Buffalo/SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA; Multi-Center Trials Group, OPUS 12 Foundation, Inc., Bethlehem, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Multi-Center Trials Group, OPUS 12 Foundation, Inc., Bethlehem, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, Division of Neurocritical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: Larami
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: MacKenzie
authors.affiliation: Multi-Center Trials Group, OPUS 12 Foundation, Inc., Bethlehem, PA, USA; Department of Surgery, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center, Reading, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Eugene F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.affiliation: Multi-Center Trials Group, OPUS 12 Foundation, Inc., Bethlehem, PA, USA; Department of Surgery, Division of Critical Care, Trauma, and Burn, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Beery
authors.affiliation: Multi-Center Trials Group, OPUS 12 Foundation, Inc., Bethlehem, PA, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Papadimos
authors.affiliation: Multi-Center Trials Group, OPUS 12 Foundation, Inc., Bethlehem, PA, USA; Department of Surgery, Division of Critical Care, Trauma, and Burn, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Stanislaw Peter A
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Stawicki
keywords: Cerebrospinal fluid leak; Glasgow Coma Scale; computed tomography scan; craniofacial trauma; head injury; pneumocephalus; tension pneumocephalus