Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
A skull fracture is a break in one or more of the eight bones that form the cranial portion of the skull, usually occurring as a result of blunt force trauma.If the force of the impact is excessive, the bone may fracture at or near the site of the impact and cause damage to the underlying structures within the skull such as the membranes, blood vessels, and brain.
Longitudinal fracture: This type divides the base of the skull into two halves (right and left). It may result from blunt impact on the face, forehead, back of the head, or from front-to-back crushing forces. [6] Transverse fracture: This type divides the base of the skull into a front and rear half.
Disturbance of vision and equilibrium may also occur. Common symptoms of head injury include coma, confusion, drowsiness, personality change, seizures, nausea and vomiting, headache and a lucid interval, during which a patient appears conscious only to deteriorate later. [14] Symptoms of skull fracture can include:
The Le Fort III fracture (transverse fracture) occurs at the level of the skull base, resulting in complete craniofacial separation of the midface from the base of the skull. [2] [3] The fracture line extends through the zygomatic arch, the pterygoid plates, the lateral and medial orbital walls, the nasal bones, and the nasal septum.
Symptoms are specific to the type of injury; for example, fractures may involve pain, swelling, loss of function, or changes in the shape of facial structures. Facial injuries have the potential to cause disfigurement and loss of function; for example, blindness or difficulty moving the jaw can result.
Battle's sign, also known as mastoid ecchymosis, is an indication of fracture of middle cranial fossa of the skull. These fractures may be associated with underlying brain trauma . Battle's sign consists of bruising over the mastoid process as a result of extravasation of blood along the path of the posterior auricular artery . [ 1 ]
This is due to pain originating from the frontal sinus, it being above the brow bones. Less common is pain referred to the temporal, occipital, or retrobulbar region. Epistaxis or serosanguineous secretion from the nose may occur. Neurological symptoms may affect the adjacent fifth cranial nerve and especially the infraorbital nerve.
The skull fractures are mainly caused by incidents involving a vehicle, assault, or a fall. In more severe cases, penetrating skull fractures are caused by an object such as a metal rod or bullet breaking through the skull completely. Based on the severity of the fracture, symptoms may include nausea, memory loss, concussion, bruise, and lethargy.