Tension pneumocephalus following endoscopic resection of a mediastinal thoracic spinal tumor:A case report

BACKGROUND Pneumocephalus is a rare complication presenting in the postoperative period of a thoracoscopic operation.We report a case in which tension pneumocephalus occurred after thoracoscopic resection as well as the subsequent approach of surgical management.CASE SUMMARY A 66-year-old man who received thoracoscopic resection to remove an intrathoracic,posterior mediastinal,dumbbell-shaped,pathology-proven neurogenic tumor.The patient then reported experiencing progressively severe headaches,especially when in an upright position.A brain computed tomography scan at a local hospital disclosed extensive pneumocephalus.Revision surgery for resection of the pseudomeningocele and repair of the cerebrospinal fluid leakage was thus arranged for the patient.During the operation,we traced the cerebrospinal fluid leakage and found that it might have derived from incomplete endoscopic clipping around the tumor stump near the dural sac at the T3 level.After that,we wrapped and sealed all the possible origins of the leakage with autologous fat,tissue glue,gelfoam,and duraseal layer by layer.The patient recovered well,and the computed tomography images showed resolution of the pneumocephalus.CONCLUSION This report and literature review indicated that the risk of developing a tension pneumocephalus cannot be ignored and should be monitored carefully after thoracoscopic tumor resection.

Pneumocephalus in an advanced aged woman

Pneumocephalus is an uncommon, often forgotten complication of meningitis caused by gas-producing organisms, especially in advanced aged patients. Attention should be paid to physical signs, and early computed tomography （CT） scan could be helpful in the diagnosis. Accurate antibiotics according to blood culture would be the key point in the treatment procedure.

ABC/2 formula for"bedside"postoperative pneumocephalus volume measurement

Background:Postoperative pneumocephalus is associated with a higher risk of recurrence of chronic subdural hematoma(cSDH).However,there is no verified simple way to measure the pneumocephalus volume at the bedside for daily clinical use.The ABC/2 method was shown to be a simple and reliable technique to estimate volumes of intracranial lesions,such as intracranial hematomas.This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of the ABC/2 formula in estimating volumes of pneumocephalus,as compared to the gold standard with computer-assisted volumetric analysis.Methods:A total of 141 postoperative computed tomographic(CT)brain scans of cSDH patients with burr-hole drainage were analysed.Pneumocephalus volume was measured independently by both the ABC/2 formula and the computer-assisted volumetric measurement.For the computer-assisted measurement,the volume of the air was semiautomatically segmented and calculated by computer software.Linear regression was used to determine the correlation between the ABC/2 method and computer-assisted measurement.Results:The postoperative pneumocephalus volume after bilateral burr-hole drainage was significantly larger than that of unilateral burr-hole drainage(29.34 ml versus 12.21 ml,p<0.001).The estimated volumes by the formula ABC/2 significantly correlated to the volumes as measured by the computer-assisted volumetric technique,with r=0.992(p<0.001).The Pearson correlation coefficient is very close to 1,which signifies a very strong positive correlation,and it is statistically significant.Conclusions:An excellent correlation is observed between the ABC/2 method and the computer-assisted measurement.This study verified that the ABC/2 method is an accurate and simple"bedside"technique to estimate pneumocephalus volume.

Endocranial Complications of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: Learning from Experience

Objectives: We critically reviewed our experiences in endocranial complications with Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, and investigated the causes, prevention strategies and management. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of endocranial complications with Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery performed during last 10 years in our ENT department. We analyzed endocranial complications, their causes, consequences, treatments and outcomes. Management was performed in collaboration with neurosurgeons and infectious diseases specialists. Results: Of 763 Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery procedures, we identified three cases with endocranial complications (0.393%). These complications included: a case of postoperative severe cerebrospinal fluid leak in a patient treated for severe polyposis;a case of cerebral-frontal abscess with delayed clinical manifestation (4 weeks post-surgery) in a patient treated for chronic pansinusitis who experienced difficult surgery for septal spur;and a case of pneumocephalus in a patient treated for allergic fungal sinusitis. The clinical outcome was favorable in all cases. Conclusions: Intra-operative cerebrospinal fluid leak, anatomical deformities (even minimal deformities) and massive inflammatory sinus disease are predisposing factors for endocranial complications with Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery. Prognosis can be favorable when therapeutic management is carried out in collaboration with neurosurgeons and infectious disease specialists.