Growing skull fracture in an adult nine years after blunt head trauma

Abstract Growing skull fracture (GSF) is an uncommon but well recognized complication of calvarial fracture in infancy and early childhood. The condition is rare in adults, and involvement of the skull base in this group of patients affects mostly the orbital roof. We present a patient with an unusu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical neuroscience 2011-06, Vol.18 (6), p.855-857
Main Authors: Leung, Gilberto Ka Kit, Chan, Koon Ho, Hung, Kwun Ngai
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Cerebrospinal fluid
Complications
Craniocerebral Trauma - complications
Disease Progression
Encephalocele
Epilepsy
Epilepsy - etiology
Growing fracture
Head injury
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Meningitis - etiology
Neurology
Skull Fractures - etiology
Skull Fractures - surgery
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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Summary:Abstract Growing skull fracture (GSF) is an uncommon but well recognized complication of calvarial fracture in infancy and early childhood. The condition is rare in adults, and involvement of the skull base in this group of patients affects mostly the orbital roof. We present a patient with an unusual GSF involving the cribriform plate in a 37-year-old man who presented with late-onset epilepsy and recurrent meningitis 9 years after the initial trauma. Imaging studies revealed an associated intraethmoidal meningoencephalocele. The patient recovered well after a limited transcranial repair with preservation of olfactory function. A high index of suspicion should be exercised in the management of patients who present with these symptoms even many years after injury.
ISSN:0967-5868
1532-2653
DOI:10.1016/j.jocn.2010.09.020