Sudden death in a child with an occult hindbrain malformation

Chiari type I malformation in previously asymptomatic children can contribute to sudden death. We report a case of a 3-year-old child with this syndrome who died 48 hours after an apparently mild head injury. The case illustrates that, in children with abnormal head size or shape, it may be important to obtain skull films after even minimal craniocerebral trauma.