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Updated: May 12, 2026
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Use of a Wireless Video-EEG System to Monitor Epileptiform Discharges Following Lateral Fluid-Percussion Induced Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: June 21, 2019
Posttraumatic delayed subdural tension pneumocephalus
Volodymyr O Solomiichuk1, Vitaliy O Lebed, Konstantin I Drizhdov
1Neurosurgical Department, Yalta City Hospital, Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine.
Surgical Neurology International
|April 23, 2013
Summary
Tension pneumocephalus, a dangerous buildup of air in the head, requires urgent neurosurgical intervention. Prompt treatment, like surgical decompression, is vital for patient outcomes following head trauma.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Trauma Care
- Medical Case Study
Background:
- Pneumocephalus, or intracranial air accumulation, complicates head injuries (3.9-9.7%) and supratentorial craniotomies (100%).
- Intracranial air can manifest acutely (<72 hours) or delayed (≥72 hours).
- Tension pneumocephalus is defined by intracranial air causing hypertension and mass effect with neurological decline.
Observation:
- A 75-year-old male presented with an open penetrating head injury.
- The patient developed tension pneumocephalus on the fifth day post-trauma.
- Urgent surgical correction was performed.
Findings:
- The surgical intervention involved a burr-hole placement in the right frontal region.
- Evacuation of the tension pneumocephalus was successfully achieved.
Implications:
- Tension pneumocephalus is a life-threatening neurosurgical emergency.
- Immediate surgical or conservative management is critical.
- This case highlights the importance of prompt diagnosis and intervention for tension pneumocephalus.
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