Tension pneumocephalus: the neurosurgical emergency equivalent of tension pneumothorax.
John Julian HarveySimon Christopher HarveyAntonio BelliPublished in: BJR case reports (2016)
Tension pneumocephalus (TP) is the intracranial equivalent of tension pneumothorax. It is an unusual but life-threatening neurosurgical emergency, which has been described following head trauma, epidural injections or complicating neurological, spinal, craniofacial or sinus surgery. Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of TP are non-specific and the diagnosis must be made by prompt recognition of the classic imaging signs of TP, allowing lifesaving emergency decompression. We present a trauma patient demonstrating the "Mount Fuji" sign on an unenhanced CT scan of the brain, which is reportedly specific for TP.
Keyphrases
- public health
- emergency department
- minimally invasive
- healthcare
- spinal cord
- computed tomography
- dual energy
- high resolution
- emergency medical
- optic nerve
- case report
- white matter
- coronary artery bypass
- cerebral ischemia
- spinal cord injury
- resting state
- contrast enhanced
- magnetic resonance
- magnetic resonance imaging
- functional connectivity
- blood brain barrier
- acute coronary syndrome
- platelet rich plasma
- atrial fibrillation
- coronary artery disease
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- pet ct