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Doctors were left stunned after finding an a massive 'air pocket' where part of a man's brain was supposed to be.

The 84-year-old patient, who has not been named, arrived at the A&E department of Causeway Hospital, in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, saying he had felt unwell for several months.

A brief examination, detailed in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), struggled to find an answer for his complaint. He was not a smoker and he claimed he rarely drank alcohol.

But a CT scan soon showed something the doctors were not expecting - a "large 9cm air-filled cavity within the right frontal lobe".

The findings were so unusual, doctors asked the patient if he had failed to mention any previous brain surgery or birth defects which he claimed he had not.

"We were all very perplexed by the images we saw," Dr Finlay Brown told The Washington Post. "I wasn't able to find very many documented cases of a similar nature.

"From speaking to specialists, it seems it has been progressing insidiously over months to years.

"When the patient sniffed or sneezed or coughed, he would likely be pushing small amounts of air into his head."

It was agreed the air pocket had probably developed as the result of an unnoticed "small stroke".

The elderly patient declined surgery, citing age and health factors. He was given medication to help prevent a secondary stroke.

The Standard approached Dr Brown for further comment.