유양동 수술 후 발생한 기뇌증

Pneumocephalus is air stasis in the intracranial cavity caused by breakdown of anatomical barrier resisting in communication between intracranial cavity and the atmosphere. Iatrogenic pneumocephalus secondary to mastoidectomy is about 6.5 % of the total cases of the pneumocephalus resulting from dural damage of tegmen mastoideum.

To prevent this tragic clinical result of mastoidectomy, it is emphasized to have a habit of carefully checking the anatomical defect preoperatively as well as during the operation. When the defect is found it is important to repair the dural defect immediately and during the postoperative state, even a mild symptom of a patient postoperatively should not be ignored.

Authors recently have experienced 2 cases of pneumochphalus with an unidentified intraoperative dural damage after mastoidectomy on 1 case of chronic otitis media and 1 case of chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma. We report clinical course and treatment result with some review of literatures for the guide in the diagnosis and treatment modalities.