Sphenoid Sinus Injury Leading Pneumocephalus as a Complication of Conventional Septoplasty

Abstract

Septoplasty is the most commonly performed operation in otolaryngology. Other than the more common complications such as hemorrhage, septal hematoma and abscess, perforation and postoperative deformities, the surgeon must also be aware of the rare but life-threatening ones such as skull base and intracranial injury, cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, meningitis, pneumocephalus, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracranial abscess and cavernous sinus thrombosis. Herein, we present the case of a sphenoid sinus posterior wall injury leading to pneumocephalus as a complication of conventional septoplasty treated with obliteration and a fascia lata graft endoscopically.

Keywords

• cerebrospinal fluid
• sphenoid sinus
• nasal septum
• pneumocephalus