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Disseminated pneumocephalus secondary to air compressor injury

  • Case Report - Brain trauma
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Abstract

We report an unusual case of a young male patient who presented with severe pain and swelling of his left eyelid following an air compressor tip accident. He suffered extensive facial edema accompanied by deep tissue emphysema and an elevated intraocular pressure. On noncontrast CT scan, air was detected in the intraconal and extraconal orbital compartments, and intracranially within the subarachnoid spaces as well as in the suprasellar and perimesencephalic cisterns. There were no detectable fractures. We presume that by perforating the orbital septum, Tenon’s capsule, and the optic nerve sheath, air had managed to penetrate the cranium through the optic nerve subarachnoid space and into the intracranial subarachnoid space.

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Correspondence to H Suisa.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Brain trauma

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Suisa, H., Sviri, G. Disseminated pneumocephalus secondary to air compressor injury. Acta Neurochir 162, 509–512 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-019-04184-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-019-04184-w

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