{"id":"e6f87ddb-7197-4ce0-a7b5-57f6566d295a","slug":"spontaneous-intraparenchymal-otogenic-pneumocephalus-a-case-report-and-review-of-literature","title":"Spontaneous intraparenchymal otogenic pneumocephalus: A case report and review of literature","authors":["Santiago G. Abbati","Rafael R. Torino"],"abstract":"Background: Pneumocephalus is commonly associated with head and facial trauma, ear infection, or surgical interventions. Spontaneous pneumocephalus caused by a primary defect at the temporal bone level without association with pathological conditions is very rare. Few cases have been published with purely intraparenchymal involvement. We describe a rare case of spontaneous pneumocephalus arising from the mastoid cells with intraparenchymal location and present an extensive review of the existing literature. Case Description: A 57-year-old woman presented a brief episode of sudden otalgia in her left ear that was followed by a motor aphasia. Imaging revealed a left temporal intraparenchymal pneumocephalus in a close relationship with a highly pneumatized temporal bone. Left temporal craniotomy and decompression were performed. Further subtemporal exploration confirmed a dural defect and other osseous defects in the tegmen tympani, which were both consequently closed watertight. Conclusion: Although extremely rare, a spontaneous intraparenchymal pneumocephalus with mastoidal origin should be considered as a possible diagnosis in patients with suggestive otological symptoms and other non-specific neurological manifestations. Surgery is indicated to repair bone and dural defects.","thumbnailUrl":"https://sni-digital-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/e6f87ddb-7197-4ce0-a7b5-57f6566d295a/featured/hero-1782421020751.png","publishDate":"2012-03-14T00:00:00.000Z","doi":"10.4103/2152-7806.93861","categories":["Original Article"],"fullTextUrl":"http://sni.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/3313/SNI-3-32.pdf"}