An uncommon case of an acute onset Growing skull fracture: Case report and review of literature

Abstract

Abstract Growing skull fracture’s (GSF) are rare complications of pediatric skull fractures with a reported incidence of 0.05–1.6%. They are most commonly seen in children less than 5 years of age. Most commonly, the onset of symptoms from the time of trauma ranges from weeks to months, with very few cases reported in literature which have an acute onset within a few days. Here we present a case of a 2 year child with a history of traumatic linear skull fracture who had an acute onset of scalp swelling within 4 days of trauma. An MRI scan showed the presence of a GSF and urgent surgical repair in the form of duraplasty and cranioplasty was undertaken. Awareness regarding the possibility of an acute onset of GSF is important for neurosurgeons as early surgical repair has been shown to reduce neurological complications.