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Intrauterine depressed skull fracture with spontaneous resolution
S Rugolotto1, E Grippaldi, G Sidoti
1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Verona. simone.rugolotto@azosp.vr.it
Insights
A newborn male infant experienced a depressed skull fracture but showed no brain injury on MRI. Follow-up confirmed normal growth and neurological development, indicating favorable outcomes for this type of birth injury.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Neonatal Care
- Radiology
Background:
- Congenital skull deformities require careful evaluation to rule out underlying brain injury.
- Depressed skull fractures in neonates can occur due to birth trauma.
Observation:
- A full-term male infant presented with a deep, round depression on the left parietal bone at birth.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed no signal abnormalities in the cortical or sub-cortical brain regions corresponding to the fracture.
Findings:
- The depressed skull fracture showed no associated intracranial injury on initial MRI.
- Skull X-ray at four months and neurodevelopmental assessment at 18 months were normal.
Implications:
- This case suggests that some neonatal depressed skull fractures may not result in significant neurological deficits.
- Early imaging and long-term follow-up are crucial for managing neonatal skull fractures.
- Conservative management appears effective for isolated, non-communicating depressed skull fractures.
Abstract:
We describe a full term male infant born by cesarean section, who presented a deep round depression of the left parietal bone at birth. MRI scan showed no signal alteration on cortical and sub-cortical level in correspondence of the depressed skull fracture. At four months of age, a skull X-ray was normal. At 18 months of age growth and neurologic follow-up is normal.
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