The term tension pneumocephalus (TP) means raised intracranial pressure due to air in the cranial cavity. This presentation is a rare case report and review on TP. Decompressing this raising intracranial pressure is a surgical emergency. Therefore, this presentation emphasises the importance of timely identification and management of TP in saving life. In this case, the acute signs of raising intracranial pressure were identified and promptly addressed surgically along with the maxillofacial injury management. This restored the deteriorating neurological status as well as his facial form and function. The etiological factors, pathophysiology and various treatment options are reviewed.
Introduction Absence of sufficient number of prospective randomized controlled studies and comparatively small sample size and short follow-up period of most of the studies, available so far, have left ambiguity and lack of standardization of different aspects of cranioplasty.
Materials and Methods This is an early report of a computed tomography scan image-based ambidirectional study on cranioplasties performed with autologous subcutaneous pocket preserved bone flaps. Retrospective arm compared bony union and factors influencing it between cranioplasties and craniotomies. Patients with poor bony union and aseptic resorption were followed up in the prospective arm.
Results Retrospective arm of the study, followed up for five years (mean 32.2 months), comprised 42 patients as cases (Group 1) and 29 as controls (Group 2). Twenty-seven individuals (64.3%) in Group 1 had good bony union, as compared with 20 (68.9%) good unions in Group 2 out of the 29 patients. Four patients (9.5%) in Group 1 showed evidence of flap resorption, a finding absent in any patient in Group 2. Age, sex, smoking habits, superficial skin infection, and method of fixation did not appear to have any implication on bony union. Craniotomies done using Gigli saws fared better as compared with those done with pneumatic saw with lesser flap size–craniectomy size discrepancy, though it was not statistically significant. Fifteen patients have been included in the Prospective arm at the time of submission of this article.
Conclusion Ours is a study with a small sample size, unable to put its weight on any side, but can surely add some more data to help the Neurosurgeons in choosing the best for their patients.
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