Keywords

air bubble sign, ball-valve theory, inverted soda bottle effect, Mount Fuji sign, neurosurgical emergency, peaking sign, pneumocephalus, tension pneumocephalus

Authors

1. Vacca, Vincent M. Jr. MSN, RN, CCRN, SCRN, ENLS

Abstract

Abstract: Pneumocephalus is a pathologic collection of air contained within the intracranial space. Although traumatic head injury accounts for 75% of all cases, pneumocephalus is also common following neurosurgery. Simple, asymptomatic pneumocephalus can often be managed conservatively; however, tension pneumocephalus is a neurosurgical emergency.