Iatrogenic intravascular pneumocephalus secondary to intravenous catheterization.

Abstract

The presence of pneumocephalus without a history of intracranial or intrathecal procedures is a significant radiographic finding. Although pneumocephalus means a violation of the dural barrier or the presence of infection, intravascular pneumocephalus is different from intraparenchymal pneumocephalus and its benign nature must be known in the presence of intravenous catheterization. Herein, we present a case of iatrogenic intravascular pneumocephalus with CT findings. To our knowledge, there are only a few reported cases of iatrogenic intravascular pneumocephalus in the literature. Careful intravenous catheterization and diagnosis of the condition on imaging helps to prevent unnecessary treatment procedures.