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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
Creating Rigidly Stabilized Fractures for Assessing Intramembranous Ossification, Distraction Osteogenesis, or Healing of Critical Sized Defects
Published on: April 11, 2012
The natural history of an untreated growing skull fracture: an unusual case
Navneet Singla1, Sunil Kumar Gupta
1Department of Neurosurgery, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India. drnavi2007@yahoo.co.in
Insights
Growing skull fractures (GSF) are rare in adults. Delayed diagnosis of GSF in a 16-year-old led to significant complications, highlighting the need for timely intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Traumatic Brain Injury Management
Background:
- Growing skull fractures (GSF) are rare complications of skull fractures, typically occurring in children under 3.
- Post-traumatic GSF presenting in adolescents and adults is uncommon and poses management challenges.
Observation:
- A 16-year-old male presented with a scalp swelling that progressively increased after infancy trauma.
- Diagnosis and treatment were delayed, resulting in enormous swelling, ventriculomegaly, and seizures.
Findings:
- Untreated GSFs can lead to delayed neurological issues and cranial asymmetry.
- Enormous GSFs present significant treatment difficulties.
Implications:
- Early diagnosis and management of growing skull fractures are crucial, even in cases presenting late.
- Timely intervention can prevent severe neurological sequelae and cosmetic deformities associated with GSF.
Background:
An uncommon complication of fractures of the skull is a growing skull fracture (GSF), which is usually seen in children less than 3 years of age. A posttraumatic GSF presenting in adolescents and adults is uncommon and may cause significant management problems.
Case Description:
A 16-year-old male presented with a progressively increasing scalp swelling following trauma in infancy. The diagnosis and treatment was delayed until the swelling had enlarged to enormous size with ventriculomegaly and development of seizures. The patient was managed with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
Conclusion:
Untreated GSFs may cause delayed-onset neurological manifestations in addition to cranial growth asymmetry. These enormous-sized GSFs may be difficult to treat.
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