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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Robotic-assisted Left Pneumonectomy For Vanishing Lung Syndrome
Published on: January 23, 2026
Pneumocephalus after thoracoscopic excision of posterior mediastinal tumor
Yao-Kuang Huang1, Ming-Shian Lu, Yun-Hen Liu
1Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Abstract:
Pneumocephalus is a very rare complication of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). A 66-year-old man developed pneumocephalus secondary to thoracoscopic excision of a neurogenic tumor in the posterior mediastinum. Pneumocephalus was diagnosed by brain computed tomography. Neurosurgical intervention was performed after conservative therapy had failed. The patient's condition had resolved without any neurologic sequelae 2 years later. When a patient has a relatively large amount of chest tube drainage and neurologic symptoms after VATS, the possibility of pneumocephalus due to cerebrospinal fluid leakage must be considered.
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