Pneumoencephalography in the workup of neuropsychiatric illnesses: a historical perspective

Abstract

<jats:p>Throughout history, neurosurgical procedures have been fundamental in advancing neuroscience; however, this has not always been without deleterious side effects or harmful consequences. While critical to the progression of clinical neuroscience during the early 20th century, yet, at the same time, poorly tolerated by patients, pneumoencephalography is one such procedure that exemplifies this juxtaposition. Presented herein are historical perspectives and reflections on the role of the pneumoencephalography in the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric illnesses.</jats:p>

‘Somewhere between science and superstition’: Religious outrage, horrific science, and The Exorcist (1973)

“…She undergoes a cerebral angiography by direct carotid arterial puncture, wherein dye is injected in order to make the structure of the brain easier to view on an X-ray, and then the more extreme but older procedure of pneumoencephalography (PEG), which was phased out soon after the film was released (Figure 2). The Exorcist offers the ‘most notable depiction’ of PEG and ‘provides us [neurosurgeons] with the most readily accessible historical documentation of the procedure’ (Ishaque, Wallace, and Grandhi, 2017: 6). The processes are shown to be painful, and then uncomfortable, clinical, noisy, and ultimately inconclusive.…”