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Context: A case of a growing skull fracture presenting in adulthood is reported. Pertinent literature was reviewed with an emphasis on pathogenesis., Evidence Acquisition: A search through MEDLINE from 1994 through 2004 was used and supplemented by searches of secondary sources retrieved from referenced articles., Evidence Synthesis: Current hypotheses for the pathogenesis of growing skull fractures were critically analyzed. A new hypothesis based in more recent data is proposed in an attempt to better understand this process., Conclusions: The proposed hypothesis seems to explain better the timing in which the clinical features in growing skull fracture develop.

Few cases of fracture of the odontoid process in children have been reported in the literature. A case with an associated severe traumatic brain injury and a suspected clinical high cervical spinal cord injury is reported here. This case is of interest because of the surgical treatment selected. A direct surgical approach was used for anterior screwing, with an excellent result. In some precisely defined circumstances, therefore, this treatment can be indicated.

The authors reviewed 47 cases of infantile subdural fluid collection with regard to diagnosis and postoperative course after placement of a subdural-peritoneal shunt. CT scan with contrast enhancement proved to be an important diagnostic modality, showing vessels in the subarachnoid space as high-density spots. Utilizing this technique, we were able to differentiate the following varieties of fluid collection: (1) subdural fluid collection, in which enhancing vessels were seen on the brain surface, (2) subarachnoid fluid collection, in which vessels were on the inner table of the cranium, and (3) coexistence of subdural and subarachnoid fluid collections, in which vessels were between the inner table of the cranium and the brain surface. The postoperative course of subdural fluid collection was characterized as follows: (1) the subdural fluid collection decreased first, with increased subarachnoid fluid collection; (2) the subarachnoid fluid collection remained after the disappearance of subdural fluid collection; and (3) the brain expanded again later. Subdural fluid collection disappeared about 1 month after the shunt operation, which could lead occlusion of the shunt system. Postoperative enlargement of the subarachnoid space was an early indicator of the efficacy of the subdural-peritoneal shunt.

We report four pediatric traumatic intracranial aneurysms occurring before the age of 10 years. Two of these aneurysms were the result of closed head injury. The remaining two were iatrogenic aneurysms which occurred in unusual circumstances. These four children represent 33% of the pediatric intracranial aneurysms seen at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario from 1974 to 1992. Diagnosis of traumatic intracranial aneurysms requires a high index of suspicion: any head-injured or postoperative child who experiences delayed neurologic deterioration, or who fails to improve as expected following treatment, should promptly undergo diagnostic intracranial imaging. Documented subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral or intraventricular hemorrhage, or subdural haematoma in this clinical setting should be further investigated by cerebral angiography to exclude a traumatic aneurysm or other vascular lesion. Traumatic aneurysms typically arise at the skull base or from distal anterior or middle cerebral arteries or branches consequent to direct mural injury or to acceleration-induced shear. Reported traumatic aneurysms account for 14%-39% of all pediatric aneurysms. Iatrogenic aneurysms also occur with unexpected frequency during childhood and adolescence. Pediatric traumatic cerebral aneurysms may present early or late. Most present early with intracranial hemorrhage. Late presentation occurs infrequently, typically as an aneurysmal mass. Once diagnosed, these aneurysms should be promptly treated by craniotomy employing routine microsurgical techniques, or in some cases, by endovascular detachable balloon techniques. Delay in operative treatment entails significant risks of repeated hemorrhage and death. Outcome in these children is primarily determined by the extent of traumatic cerebral injury and the preoperative clinical status. The latter directly depends upon diagnosis of the aneurysm prior to either initial or repeated hemorrhage.

Cerebral blood flow in seven infants with extracerebral fluid collections was investigated using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 123I-N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine. Early and delayed SPECT imaging was carried out. Areas of hypoperfusion were observed in five cases. The watershed zone of the major cerebral arteries or the territory of the anterior cerebral arteries were common areas of low perfusion. The hypoperfusion area was redistributed in two cases with intracranial hypertension. Subduroperitoneal shunts produced improvement of clinical symptoms in these cases. Hypoperfusion without redistribution was observed in three patients. In these areas, permanent tissue damage caused by a primary disease existed. Normal circulation patterns were observed in two patients. They showed normal development and follow-up CT revealed a decrease in the size of the extracerebral fluid collection. Measurement of regional cerebral blood flow may be helpful in considering surgical indications and in following up extracerebral fluid collection in infants.

A case of childhood post-traumatic akinetic mutism is presented. The patient showed a hyperphagic condition while recovering from akinetic mutism. He had lesions in the left interlaminal nucleus of the thalamus, right globus pallidus, and right dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. Laboratory data indicated slightly disturbed hypothalamic functions. In general, akinetic mutism can be seen with bilateral destructive lesions, while hyperphagia may occur after destruction of dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, but it is very rare. This is the first reported case of akinetic mutism caused by a unilateral lesion.

Among 62 children and adolescents (1-16 years) admitted over a period of 3 years (1987-1989) with a minor head injury, 33 (53%) were found to harbour intracranial lesions of surgical interest. The most frequent lesion found was extradural haematoma (17 cases), followed by cerebral contusion (7 cases), depressed fracture (4 cases), depressed fracture with underlying contusion (3 cases) and pneumocephalus (2 cases). A skull fracture was present in 88% of patients with an intracranial lesion and in 50% of patients without lesions. Fifteen patients underwent surgery for an extradural haematoma or a depressed fracture. All had a good recovery. No correlation was found between age and Glasgow Coma Score on the one hand, and the incidence of both the presence of intracranial lesions and the necessity of surgical treatment on the other. The only important risk factor proved to be a skull fracture, which had occurred significantly more often in patients with intracranial lesions than in those without any.

Transcranial Doppler sonography is a noninvasive method of obtaining information about changes in cerebral hemodynamics and intracranial pressure. After severe head injuries the development of brain swelling and brain edema can be assessed and the efficacy of treatment monitored. Development of severe brain edema accompanied by a rapid increase in intracranial pressure can be recognized by a decrease in blood flow velocity and rise in the pulsatility index. In hydrocephalic children the behavior of the cerebral blood flow velocity and the pulsatility index will warn of an increase of the ventricular fluid pressure or a shunt insufficiency.