Related Experiment Videos
[Cerebral pneumocephalus after epidural anesthesia: a rare complication?]
D Baylot1, Z el Khouri, A Aarab
1Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital de Bellevue, Saint-Etienne.
Annales Francaises D'Anesthesie Et De Reanimation
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Pneumoencephalus, a rare complication of accidental dural puncture during cervical epidural anesthesia, can cause headaches. This condition, involving air in the brain, may be underdiagnosed and requires CT scans for accurate diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Anesthesiology
- Radiology
Background:
- Accidental dural puncture during cervical epidural procedures can lead to complications.
- The loss of resistance technique is commonly used for epidural placement.
Observation:
- A case of pneumoencephalus occurred after an accidental dural puncture during a cervical epidural procedure.
- Six ml of air were inadvertently injected intrathecally.
Findings:
- The patient experienced symptoms consistent with pneumoencephalus and recovered spontaneously within five days.
- Differentiating pneumoencephalus headache from meningeal irritation due to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak can be challenging.
Implications:
- Pneumoencephalus following dural puncture may be more common than previously thought.
- Computed Tomography (CT) scans are essential for diagnosing pneumoencephalus and distinguishing it from other causes of headache after dural puncture.