[Pneumocephalus: a prognostic factor in head injuries. Results of a retrospective study of 167 patients]

Presence of air within the cranial cavity has been described by several authors. Little attention has been paid to its significance. The goal of this study was to analyse the clinical characteristics and the evolution of patients with pneumocephalus. We reviewed the brain computed tomography scans of 167 consecutive head injury patients who were hospitalized between January 1992 and December 1993. This retrospective study revealed intracranial air in 33 cases (19%). The analysis of clinical characteristics showed that in the initial period the neurologic status was better in patients with pneumocephalus. However, 48 hours later, the proportion of patients presenting a deep coma increased We conclude that pneumocephalus is a significant risk factor in head injury patients.