Management of Posttraumatic Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak with Secondary Diffuse Pneumocephalus Complicated by Meningitis and Communicating Hydrocephalus – Illustrative Case Report

Abstract

Rhinorrhea is a possible complication after different types of traumatic brain injury or neurosurgical procedures, such as skull base operations. Pneumocephalus is a rarely noted complication after severe traumatic brain injury, and it may be accompanied by meningitis and ventriculitis, especially when treatment has been delayed. Treatment of these entities includes conservative and surgical approaches. Pneumocephalus may result in neurologic disturbances threatening a life. Therefore, active patient management with a multidisciplinary team is required to prevent poor outcomes. In the literature, limited cases of rhinorrhea and pneumocephalus are available, including in our country. Pneumocephalus may also occur spontaneously. In 2015, Pishbin et al. identified 10 cases of spontaneous pneumocephalus. The precise incidence of diffuse pneumocephalus after traumatic brain injury is unknown, reported as <1% of cases with rare complications. In this case, a 41-year-old male patient presented at a tertiary university hospital with the chief complaint of headache. A month prior to admission, the patient was discharged from another hospital with multiple skull and facial fractures, pneumocephalus, and traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage in the left frontal lobe due to fights (Le Fort III). During the second hospitalization, the patient’s clinical status deteriorated. A repeated brain CT demonstrated diffuse pneumocephalus. Rhinorrhea was still present. The external lumbal drainage procedure was performed without stopping the cerebrospinal fluid leak. In children, pediatric inferior turbinate hypertrophy is a frequent cause of nasal breathing difficulties. In this case, no such hypertrophy was observed. It should be considered a nasal obstructive disease not necessarily related to adult entities, frequently associated with other nasal or craniofacial disorders. Early diagnosis and endoscopic management of rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, and associated complications is vital, as delays can lead to life-threatening issues like hydrocephalus/meningitis. Eventually, the patient developed meningitis and acute communicating hydrocephalus. Right ventriculostomy with a programmable ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement was done (pressure 110 cm H₂O), stopping the rhinorrhea. This is an extremely rare case where a patient, after cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, develops severe complications, including pneumocephalus, meningitis, ventriculitis, and acute communicating hydrocephalus. In the literature, we did not come across case reports presenting all the complications as in this case. This case report will raise knowledge and awareness of such entities, adding to the rare, similar cases reported so far.