[Pneumocephalus following facial injury]

Pneumocephalus or intracranial air its commonly detected following serious head injury and posterior fossa surgery. In laryngology the frequent reason of its appearance is also herniation of air through a break in the wall of skull due to advanced benign and malignant tumors. The pathophysiology involves the presence of craniodural fistula allowing ingress of air. A ballvalve mechanism may allow air to enter not exit the cranium or like in turned upside down bottle leak permit air entrance as fluid leaves the intracranial space. The presence of air is usually asymptomatic but caries a potential risk of increased intracranial pressure or meningitis which require an immediate therapy. Although various ways of treatment were reported prevention and early diagnosis are the most important. We report 3 cases of cerebral air that occurred secondary to the head trauma. The diagnosis every time promptly confirmed by skull roentgenogram or CT.