Delayed Pneumocephalus-Induced Cranial Neuropathy

Abstract EN

Pneumocephalus is a common occurrence after cranial surgery, with patients typically remaining asymptomatic from a moderate amount of intracranial air.

Postsurgical pneumocephalus rarely causes focal neurological deficits; furthermore, cranial neuropathy from postsurgical pneumocephalus is exceedingly uncommon.

Only 3 cases have been previously reported that describe direct cranial nerve compression from intracranial air resulting in an isolated single cranial nerve deficit.

The authors present a patient who developed dysconjugate eye movements from bilateral oculomotor nerve palsy.

Direct cranial nerve compression occurred as a result of postoperative pneumocephalus in the interpeduncular cistern.

The isolated cranial neuropathy gradually recovered as the intracranial air was reabsorbed.