Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
Creating Rigidly Stabilized Fractures for Assessing Intramembranous Ossification, Distraction Osteogenesis, or Healing of Critical Sized Defects
Published on: April 11, 2012
Birth trauma and development of growing fracture after coronal suture disruption
Pablo Miranda1, Manuel Vila, Jose A Alvarez-Garijo
1Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Hospital Infantil La Fe, Avda. Campanar s/n., 46009 Valencia, Spain. mirandalloret@yahoo.es
Insights
This case report details a rare neonatal growing skull fracture, a leptomeningeal cyst, successfully treated with surgery. The infant recovered well, highlighting effective management for this birth trauma complication.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Craniofacial Surgery
- Neonatal Care
Background:
- Growing skull fractures are rare, progressive diastatic enlargements of skull fractures.
- Neonatal growing skull fractures secondary to birth trauma are exceptionally uncommon.
- Previous literature reports only one case of neonatal growing fracture linked to coronal suture disruption.
Observation:
- A full-term infant presented with a cystic swelling over the frontoparietal area after forceps-assisted delivery.
- The swelling, initially mistaken for cephalhematoma, involved the coronal and sagittal sutures.
- Clinical and radiological evaluations confirmed a diagnosis of leptomeningeal cyst.
Findings:
- Initial management involved tapping the cystic collection.
- Surgical intervention included cyst decompression, resection, and dural repair.
- Post-operative follow-up showed the patient remained asymptomatic with the porencephalic cavity isolated.
Implications:
- This case expands understanding of neonatal growing skull fractures.
- Successful surgical management offers a potential treatment pathway for similar rare conditions.
- Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for favorable outcomes in neonatal skull abnormalities.
Introduction:
A growing fracture is a rare complication of skull fractures characterized by progressive diastatic enlargement of the fracture line. Growing skull fractures related to birth trauma were only occasionally reported. As far as we know, only one previous case of a neonatal growing fracture secondary to coronal suture disruption has been reported.
Case Report:
We present the case of a full-term infant born after a nontraumatic, forceps-assisted spontaneous delivery, who developed an increasing cystic swelling over the left frontoparietal area that crossed over coronal and sagittal sutures. The lesion was initially misinterpreted as cephalhematoma. Clinical and radiological follow-up established the correct diagnosis of leptomeningeal cyst.
Outcome:
The collection was initially tapped. Surgical treatment was undertaken thereafter, consisting of decompression and resection of the cyst and dural repair. Two months after follow-up, the patient remains asymptomatic and the porencephalic cavity remains isolated from the extradural space, with no evidence of new fluid collections.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:22Sutures of the Skull
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
01:27Fractures: Bone Repair
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the procedure...
01:29Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
01:14Spinal Cord Injury ll: Pathophysiology
01:28Traumatic Brain Injury l: Introduction