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Updated: Mar 12, 2026
State of the Art Cranial Ultrasound Imaging in Neonates
Published on: February 2, 2015
Congenital depressed skull fracture in a neonate without obstetric trauma
Elliot K Mmutle1, Baby S Lekhuleni1, Luvo Gaxa1
1Department of Radiology, Witbank Tertiary Hospital, Emalahleni, South Africa.
Abstract:
Congenital depressed skull fractures (ping-pong fractures) without obstetric trauma are rare. A term male neonate delivered via uncomplicated caesarean section, demonstrated a right parieto-temporal skull depression (5 cm × 5 cm) at birth. Computed tomography revealed a 4 mm parietal depression without intracranial injury. No instrumental delivery or maternal trauma were present. The likely aetiology was intrauterine compression ('faulty foetal packing'). The patient was managed conservatively with close follow-up.
Contribution:
This case underscores the importance of perinatal history and neuroimaging in distinguishing spontaneous from traumatic fractures and supports conservative management in neurologically intact infants.
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