An Unusual Presentation of Frontal Bony Defect with Pneumocephalus and its Management in an Elderly Patient

Abstract

Pneumocephalus can be caused by neurosurgical procedures, endoscopic sinus surgery, craniofacial trauma, tumors of the skull base, frontal sinus cranialization, and can rarely occur spontaneously. The treatment options are conservative treatment, craniotomy, osteoplastic flap surgery of the frontal sinus, and endoscopic endonasal surgery. We herein present the case of a 61-year-old man with a frontal sinus bony defect with pneumocephalus caused by craniotomy who presented atypically with left facial cellulitis, followed by meningitis and seizures. This bony defect was successfully repaired with endoscopic modified Lothrop procedure (EMLP). At 18 months' follow-up after the surgery, neither obvious postoperative complications nor signs of pneumocephalus were noted. EMLP offered a less invasive, safer, and effective way to repair the frontal bony defect in our elderly patient.

Keywords

• endoscopic modified Lothrop procedure
• endoscopic sinus surgery
• facial cellulitis
• frontal sinus
• pneumocephalus