Bilateral longitudinal temporal bone fractures: a retrospective review of seventeen cases

The types of temporal bone fractures, longitudinal and transverse, are reviewed. All cases of bilateral temporal bone fractures at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas over a 10-year period from 1968 to 1978 are reivewed and discussed by the authors. One hundred sixty patients with the diagnosis of base of skull fractures were studied. Fifty-nine of these were temporal bone fractures and 17 of the 59 were bilateral. Of all the base of skull fractures, 10% were bilateral temporal bone fractures and 29% of all temporal bone fractures were bilateral. For each case the method of injury, the extent of damage to hearing and facial nerve function, presence of CSF otorrhea, X-ray findings, and additional complications are summarized and the results discussed. The operative findings of facial nerve decompressions are carefully reviewed. The authors' method of caring for temporal bone fractures is presented.