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Cureus Apr 2022The basic anatomy and morphology of subarachnoid cisterns of the brain are interesting and challenging topics with high clinical significance. These enlarged CSF-filled... (Review)
Review
The basic anatomy and morphology of subarachnoid cisterns of the brain are interesting and challenging topics with high clinical significance. These enlarged CSF-filled expansions are important as they transmit various neurovascular structures. The cisterns can be classified based on their location as supratentorial, at the level of the tentorium, and infratentorial. They are also classified as paired and unpaired cisterns. The anatomical and radiological information about the cisterns is clinically and surgically relevant in diagnosing and managing many neurological disorders. It is also essential in medical teaching. This pictorial essay reviews the radiological images where the subarachnoid cisterns are delineated in four unique circumstances.
PubMed: 35509744
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.23741 -
Surgical Neurology International 2021Tension pneumocephalus is a rare complication after intracranial procedures and craniotomy. We report a rare case of intraventricular and subdural tension pneumocephalus...
BACKGROUND
Tension pneumocephalus is a rare complication after intracranial procedures and craniotomy. We report a rare case of intraventricular and subdural tension pneumocephalus occurring 2 months after repeat right-sided microvascular decompression (MVD) for recurrent trigeminal neuralgia.
CASE DESCRIPTION
The patient in this case was a 79-year-old woman who presented with acute-onset confusion, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. On computed tomography, substantial volumes of pneumocephalus in the fourth ventricle and subdural space at the site of the retrosigmoid exposure for the previous MVD were seen. She underwent emergent wound exploration, and no obvious dural defect or exposed mastoid air cells were identified. The dura was reopened, and the surgical site was copiously irrigated. Mastoid air cells were covered with ample amounts of bone wax, and the wound was closed. The patient recovered well postoperatively with complete resolution of the pneumocephalus by her 3-month follow-up evaluation.
CONCLUSION
It is important to assess for cerebrospinal fluid leakage and that air cells are sealed off before wound closure to prevent a pathway for air to egress into the surgical cavity and corridor.
PubMed: 34345452
DOI: 10.25259/SNI_917_2020 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2024Traumatic tension pneumocephalus is a rare and life-threatening complication of traumatic brain injury necessitating prompt diagnosis and neurosurgical treatment....
Traumatic tension pneumocephalus is a rare and life-threatening complication of traumatic brain injury necessitating prompt diagnosis and neurosurgical treatment. Nevertheless, various possibilities for impedance in timely management, including patient-related barriers are commonly experienced in low-and middle-income countries setting. Here we presented a delay of management in traumatic tension pneumocephalus case due to initial refusal for emergency surgery. A 59-year-old male presented to the emergency department following a motorcycle accident fully alert with no neurological deficit. He acknowledged clear nasal discharge within 1 h after the initial trauma, but no rhinorrhea or otorrhea was present during physical examination. Head CT revealed extensive pneumocephalus with "Mount Fuji sign," anterior skull base fracture, and frontal sinus fracture. The patient initially refused immediate surgical intervention due to excellent clinical condition and financial scare. Acute decrease of consciousness occurred 40 h post-trauma: GCS of 6 with slight dilatation of both pupils (4 mm) and sluggish pupillary reflex. Emergency bifrontal craniotomy, subdural air drainage, and dura mater tear repair were performed afterwards. Postoperative care was uneventful, with rapid improvement of consciousness and follow-up head CT showing minimal subdural fluid collection and absence of remaining pneumocephalus. The patient was discharged from the hospital after 7 days with GCS of 15 and GOS of 5, proving the importance of overcoming barriers for delay in delivering neurotrauma care in low-and middle-income countries.
PubMed: 38385032
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1339521 -
Surgical Neurology International 2023The aim of this study was to report the demographics and clinical features of patients with penetrating traumatic brain injury (PTBI) during the past 5 years in Rajaee...
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to report the demographics and clinical features of patients with penetrating traumatic brain injury (PTBI) during the past 5 years in Rajaee Hospital, a tertiary referral trauma center in Shiraz, southern Iran.
METHODS
We conducted a 5-year retrospective evaluation of all patients diagnosed with PTBI who were referred to Rajaee Hospital. We retrieved the following items from the hospital's database and PACS system: patients' demographics, on-admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), presence of trauma to other organs, duration of the hospital and ICU stay, the neurosurgical interventions, any necessity of tracheostomy, duration of ventilator dependency, the entrance point of the trauma in the skull, type of assault, length of trajectory in the brain parenchyma, the number of remaining objects in the brain, the occurrence of any hemorrhagic phenomenon, the cross of the bullet from the midline or coronal suture, and the presence of the pneumocephalus.
RESULTS
A total of 59 patients with a mean age of 28.75 ± 9.40 had PTBI over the 5 years. The mortality rate was 8.5%. Stab wounds, shotguns, gunshots, and airguns were the cause of injury in 33 (56%), 14 (23.7%), 10 (17%), and 2 (3.4%) patients, respectively. The median initial GCS of patients was 15 (3-15). Intracranial hemorrhage was observed in 33 cases, subdural hematoma in 18 cases, intraventricular hemorrhage in eight cases, and subarachnoid hemorrhage in four cases. The mean duration of hospitalization was 10.05 ± 10.75 (ranging from 1 to 62 days). Furthermore, 43 patients experienced ICU admission with mean days of 6.5 ± 5.62 (1-23). The temporal and frontal regions were the most common entrance points, in 23 and 19 patients, respectively.
CONCLUSION
The incidence of PTBI is relatively low in our center, possibly due to the prohibition of possession or using warm weapons in Iran. Further, multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are needed to determine prognostic factors associated with worse clinical outcomes after PTBI.
PubMed: 36895251
DOI: 10.25259/SNI_1160_2022 -
Operative Neurosurgery (Hagerstown, Md.) May 2023Using electrocorticography for research (R-ECoG) during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery has advanced our understanding of human cortical-basal ganglia...
BACKGROUND
Using electrocorticography for research (R-ECoG) during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery has advanced our understanding of human cortical-basal ganglia neurophysiology and mechanisms of therapeutic circuit modulation. The safety of R-ECoG has been established, but potential effects of temporary ECoG strip placement on targeting accuracy have not been reported.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether temporary subdural electrode strip placement during DBS implantation surgery affects lead implantation accuracy.
METHODS
Twenty-four consecutive patients enrolled in a prospective database who underwent awake DBS surgery were identified. Ten of 24 subjects participated in R-ECoG. Lead locations were determined after fusing postoperative computed tomography scans into the surgical planning software. The effect of brain shift was quantified using Lead-DBS and analyzed in a mixed-effects model controlling for time interval to postoperative computed tomography. Targeting accuracy was reported as radial and Euclidean distance errors and compared with Mann-Whitney tests.
RESULTS
Neither radial error nor Euclidean distance error differed significantly between R-ECoG participants and nonparticipants. Pneumocephalus volume did not differ between the 2 groups, but brain shift was slightly greater with R-ECoG. Pneumocephalus volume correlated with brain shift, but neither of these measures significantly correlated with Euclidean distance error. There were no complications in either group.
CONCLUSION
In addition to an excellent general safety profile as has been reported previously, these results suggest that performing R-ECoG during DBS implantation surgery does not affect the accuracy of lead placement.
Topics: Humans; Electrocorticography; Deep Brain Stimulation; Pneumocephalus; Brain; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 36701668
DOI: 10.1227/ons.0000000000000582 -
Annals of Medicine and Surgery (2012) Feb 2022Pneumorachis, air in the spinal canal, is very rare and its association with pneumocephalus following blunt thoracic trauma remains exceptionally uncommon.
INTRODUCTION
Pneumorachis, air in the spinal canal, is very rare and its association with pneumocephalus following blunt thoracic trauma remains exceptionally uncommon.
CASE PRESENTATION
We present the case of a 65-year-old patient, a pedestrian hit by a car driving at very high speed. The lesion assessment on admission showed a bilateral hemothorax of moderate abundance, a right pneumothorax of low abundance and a left pneumothorax of moderate abundance, subcutaneous cervico-dorsal emphysema, pneumocephalus and significant pneumorachis at the cervico-dorsal level without fracture of the base of the skull, sinuses or the spine.
DISCUSSION
We discuss the different etiologies of pneumorachis, the main hypotheses of the constitution of this air effusion and the principles of management.
CONCLUSION
Pneumorachis associated with pneumocephalus in a traumatic context without bone lesions is an extremely rare entity, its discovery should lead to further investigations to look for any spinal or basilar skull fracturethat could expose to an infectious risk or require a surgical procedure.
PubMed: 35198174
DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103349 -
World Journal of Clinical Cases Dec 2022Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common disease in neurosurgery. The traditional treatment methods include burr hole drainage, bone flap craniectomy and other...
BACKGROUND
Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common disease in neurosurgery. The traditional treatment methods include burr hole drainage, bone flap craniectomy and other surgical methods, and there are certain complications such as recurrence, pneumocephalus, infection and so on. With the promotion of neuroendoscopic technology, its treatment effect and advantages need to be further evaluated.
AIM
To study the clinical effect of endoscopic small-bone approach in CSDH.
METHODS
A total of 122 patients with CSDH admitted to our hospital from August 2018 to August 2021 were randomly divided into two groups using the digital table method: the neuroendoscopy group ( = 61 cases) and the burr hole drainage group ( = 61 cases). The clinical treatment effect of the two groups of patients with CSDH was compared.
RESULTS
At the early postoperative stage (1 d and 3 d), the proportion of 1/2 re-expansion of brain tissue in the hematoma cavity and the proportion of complete re-expansion was higher in the neuroendoscopy group than in the burr hole drainage group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( < 0.05). The recurrence rate of hematoma in the neuroendoscopy group was lower than that in the burr hole drainage group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( < 0.05). No intracranial hematoma, low cranial pressure, tension pneumocephalus or other complications occurred in the neuroendoscopy group.
CONCLUSION
The neuroendoscopic approach for the treatment of CSDH can clear the hematoma under direct vision and separate the mucosal lace-up. The surgical effect is apparent with few complications and definite curative effect, which is worthy of clinical promotion and application.
PubMed: 36568991
DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i35.12920 -
Acta Neurochirurgica Nov 2020The semi-sitting position in neurosurgical procedures is still under debate due to possible complications such as venous air embolism (VAE) or postoperative...
BACKGROUND
The semi-sitting position in neurosurgical procedures is still under debate due to possible complications such as venous air embolism (VAE) or postoperative pneumocephalus (PP). Studies reporting a high frequency of the latter raise the question about the clinical relevance (i.e., the incidence of tension pneumocephalus) and the efficacy of a treatment by an air replacement procedure.
METHODS
This retrospective study enrolled 540 patients harboring vestibular schwannomas who underwent posterior fossa surgery in a supine (n = 111) or semi-sitting (n = 429) position. The extent of the PP was evaluated by voxel-based volumetry (VBV) and related to clinical predictive factors (i.e., age, gender, position, duration of surgery, and tumor size).
RESULTS
PP with a mean volume of 32 ± 33 ml (range: 0-179.1 ml) was detected in 517/540 (96%) patients. The semi-sitting position was associated with a significantly higher PP volume than the supine position (40.3 ± 33.0 ml [0-179.1] and 0.8 ± 1.4 [0-10.2], p < 0.001). Tension pneumocephalus was observed in only 14/429 (3.3%) of the semi-sitting cases, while no tension pneumocephalus occurred in the supine position. Positive predictors for PP were higher age, male gender, and longer surgery duration, while large (T4) tumor size was established as a negative predictor. Air exchange via a twist-drill was only necessary in 14 cases with an intracranial air volume > 60 ml. Air replacement procedures did not add any complications or prolong the ICU stay.
CONCLUSION
Although pneumocephalus is frequently observed following posterior fossa surgery in semi-sitting position, relevant clinical symptoms (i.e., a tension pneumocephalus) occur in only very few cases. These cases are well-treated by an air evacuation procedure. This study indicates that the risk of postoperative pneumocephalus is not a contraindication for semi-sitting positioning.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neuroma, Acoustic; Neurosurgical Procedures; Patient Positioning; Pneumocephalus; Postoperative Complications; Postoperative Period; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sitting Position
PubMed: 32712719
DOI: 10.1007/s00701-020-04504-5 -
Children (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Pediatric basilar skull fractures (BSFs) are a rare type of traumatic head injury that can cause debilitating complications without prompt treatment. Here, we sought to... (Review)
Review
Pediatric basilar skull fractures (BSFs) are a rare type of traumatic head injury that can cause debilitating complications without prompt treatment. Here, we sought to review the literature and characterize the clinical features, management, and outcomes of pediatric BSFs. We identified 21 relevant studies, excluding reviews, meta-analyses, and non-English articles. The incidence of pediatric BSFs ranged from 0.0001% to 7.3%, with falls from multi-level heights and traffic accidents being the primary causes (9/21). The median presentation age ranged from 3.2 to 12.8 years, and the mean age of patients across all studies was 8.68 years. Up to 55% of pediatric BSFs presented with intracranial hematoma/hemorrhage, along with pneumocephalus and edema. Cranial nerve palsies were a common complication (9/21), with the facial nerve injured most frequently (7/21). While delayed cranial nerve palsy was reported in a few studies (4/21), most resolved within three months post-admission. Other complications included CSF leaks (10/21) and meningitis (4/21). Management included IV fluids, antiemetics, and surgery (8/21) to treat the fracture directly, address a CSF leak, or achieve cranial nerve compression. Despite their rarity, pediatric skull base fractures are associated with clinical complications, including CSF leaks and cranial nerve palsies. Given that some of these complications may be delayed, patient education is critical.
PubMed: 38790559
DOI: 10.3390/children11050564 -
International Journal of Surgery Case... Sep 2021Pneumocephalus (PNC) is the presence of air in the intracranial cavity. The most frequent cause is craniofacial trauma, though there are many etiologies, including...
INTRODUCTION
Pneumocephalus (PNC) is the presence of air in the intracranial cavity. The most frequent cause is craniofacial trauma, though there are many etiologies, including surgical procedures. PNC with compression of the frontal lobes and widening of the interhemispheric space between the tips of the frontal lobes results in the characteristic radiological finding of the "Mount Fuji sign".
PRESENTATION OF CASE
A 57-year-old man presented to the A&E with loss of consciousness due to a motorcycle collision 9 h prior. He had a GCS of E4M6V5, and a head CT scan revealed minimal PNC forming in both hemispheres. After discharge, severe headaches and rhinorrhea developed. A second CT scan revealed a massive PNC. An operation was then performed via a bicoronal incision to drain the PNC and seal the cranial defect. A burr hole in the calvarium was created, and the cranial defect was closed using a pericranial rotational flap. Post-operation, the patient's headache and rhinorrhea decreased; neither symptom was present at 1-month post-operation. The wounds healed with minimal scarring, and the cosmetic outcome for the craniofacial fracture was acceptable.
DISCUSSION
Although the patient may at first present with a mild head injury, this can progress into something much more serious. PNC is difficult to diagnose clinically. Rarely, patients describe a splashing sound upon moving the head (termed bruit hydro-aerique), which can also be auscultated. A head CT scan is the gold standard in the diagnosis of PNC. Pericranial flaps are widely used for dural repair because they are easily accessible and have a lower rate of infection than artificial grafts on expanding PNC.
CONCLUSION
Tension PNC may be slow-growing and increase intracranial pressure to high levels before clinical signs are present. The pericranial rotational flap technique is the best way to close a dura mater defect in cranial base fractures with tension PNC.
PubMed: 34418808
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2021.106314