Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T00:59:41.095Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Spontaneous pneumocephalus presenting with alien limb phenomena

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 May 2012

R Nash ,
M Wilson ,
M Adams  and
N Kitchen
R Nash*
Affiliation:
Victor Horsley Department of Neurosurgery, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
M Wilson
Affiliation:
Victor Horsley Department of Neurosurgery, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
M Adams
Affiliation:
Lysholm Department of Neuroradiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
N Kitchen
Affiliation:
Victor Horsley Department of Neurosurgery, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Mr Robert Nash, Victor Horsley Department of Neurosurgery, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK Fax: +44 (0) 207 448 3340 E-mail: robertnash@doctors.org.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background:

Spontaneous pneumocephalus is a rare condition that has been reported infrequently. Alien limb syndrome is an uncommon phenomenon most often seen in patients with frontal and callosal lesions.

Method:

Case report of a patient with pneumocephalus presenting with alien limb syndrome. The patient underwent successful surgical management. A literature review and discussion of aspects of this presentation are also included.

Conclusion:

In this case, a spontaneous pneumocephalus has formed a frontal space-occupying lesion and presented with alien limb phenomena.

Keywords

PneumocephalusTensionGasIntracranialAlien Hand Syndromes
Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 126 , Issue 7 , July 2012 , pp. 733 - 736
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Pennings, RJ, Liauw, L, Cremers, CW. A spontaneous extradural otogenic pneumocephalus. Otol Neurotol 2009;30:864CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2Josephs, KA, Rossor, MN. The alien limb. Pract Neurol 2004;4:44–5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Markham, JW. The clinical features of pneumocephalus based upon a survey of 284 cases with report of 11 additional cases. Acta Neurochir (Wein) 1967;16:1–78CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Hamid, A, Huneidi, S, Afshar, F. Chronic spontaneous tension pneumocephalus due to benign frontal sinus osteoma. Br J Neurosurgery 1989;3:389–92Google Scholar
5Bartlett, JR. Frontal and ethmoidal osteomas. Intra-cranial neurological complications. Br J Surg 1971;58:607–13CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Añorbe, E, Aisa, P, Saenz de Ormijana, J. Spontaneous pneumatocele and pneumocephalus associated with mastoid hyperpneumatization. Eur J Radiol 2000;36:158–60CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7Park, CY, Kim, KS. Spontaneous pneumocephalus associated with pneumocele of the frontal sinus. Cephalgia 2010;30:1400–2CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Lee, JS, Park, YS, Kwon, JT, Suk, JS. Spontaneous pneumocephalus associated with pneumosinus dilatans. J Korean Neurosurg Soc 2010;47:395–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Hermans, PE, Bracke, PG, Demeyer, IV. Pneumocephalus due to barotrauma: CT demonstration. Am J Roentgenol 1992;159:1351–2CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Jarjour, NN, Wilson, P. Pneumocephalus associated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure in a patient with sleep apnea syndrome. Chest 1989;96:1425–6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Babl, FE, Arnett, AM, Barnett, E, Brancato, JC, Kharasch, SJ, Janecka, IP. Atraumatic pneumocephalus: a case report and review of the literature. Pediatr Emerg Care 1999;15:106–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12Andrews, JC, Canalis, RF. Otogenic pneumocephalus. Laryngoscope 1986;96:521–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Scepkowski, LA, Cronin-Golomb, A. The alien hand: cases, categorizations, and anatomical correlates. Behav Cogn Neurosci Rev 2003;2:261–77CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14Spector, AR, Freeman, WD, Cheshire, WP. The stroke that struck back: an unusual alien hand presentation. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2009;18:72–3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15Schrijver, HM, Berendse, HW. Pneumocephalus by valsalva's maneuver. Neurology 2003;60:345–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16Richards, SD, Saeed, SR, Laitt, R, Ramsden, RT. Hypercellularity of the mastoid as a cause of spontaneous pneumocephalus. J Laryngol Otol 2004;118:474–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Tucker, A, Miyake, H, Tsuji, M, Ukita, T, Nishihara, K, Ito, S et al. Spontaneous epidural pneumocephalus. Neurol Med Chir 2008;48:474–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18DelGaudio, JM, Ingley, AP. Treatment of pneumocephalus after endoscopic sinus and microscopic skull base surgery. Am J Otolaryngol 2010;31:226–30CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19Wilkinson, EP, Meyer, TA, Rubinstein, JT. Spontaneous otogenic pneumocephalus managed with the middle fossa approach. Acta Otolaryngol 2007;127:892–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed