Anterior Versus Lateral Skull Base Fractures: Differences in Hospital Course and Need for Surgery

Abstract

Background: Skull base fracture management depends on location, severity, and can range from observation to surgical intervention.  A comparison between the different locations of skull base fractures, namely anterior versus lateral, with regards to hospital length of stay (LOS), need for intensive care, and surgery has not been studied. Methods: Patients with skull base fractures between 2012 and 2019 were reviewed. Demographics and inpatient events were collected. Multivariate logistic and linear regressions evaluated the association between fracture location, multiple traumas, loss of consciousness, and mechanism of injury with hospital course and sequalae. Results: There were 134 patients (74.6% male) with skull base fractures (67 anterior and 67 lateral), with an average age of 44.2 years. The mechanism of injury was more likely to be MVCs in anterior fractures and falls in lateral fractures (MVC: 56.7% vs 34.3%; falls: 28.4% vs 44.8%, P = .03). Patients with anterior fractures were more likely to undergo any surgery ( P < .002), and surgeries for facial fractures ( P < .005), but less likely to need ICU care ( P = .01). When admitted, patients with anterior skull base fractures had longer ICU stays ( P = .03). They were also more likely to experience vision difficulties whereas patients with lateral fractures were more likely to experience hearing loss ( P = .02). Conclusion: Patients with lateral skull base fractures are more likely to require an ICU admission compared to anterior fractures, but anterior fractures are more likely to need surgery and have longer ICU stays when admitted. A better understanding of the expected hospital course for patients based on skull base fracture location can improve care-coordination, hospital resource management and patient counseling.