Intraventricular pneumocephalus after posterior fossa and CSF shunting surgery. Case report

The authors report a case of tension intraventricular pneumocephalus developed six months after the removal of an acoustic neuroma and a CSF ventriculoperitoneal shunt procedure due to a concomitant hydrocephalus. A review of the literature show only 19 cases of CSF shunt complicating pneumocephalus. The authors discuss both about the etiology of pneumocephalus and its therapeutic options. In our case we were unable to preoperatively localize the cranial base communication allowing intracranial air antry. The literature show however that eroded or thinned bone areas may be multiple and even diffuse their development depending upon several factors. We suggest in these cases a direct surgical repair through a craniotomy, as reported by others, is not mandatory. According to the etiology of pneumocephalus a temporary extraventricular drainage and the revision of the shunting pressure regimen may represent an effective treatment of this complication.