Skull Penetrating Stone due to falling from height: A Case Report

Abstract

Background: Falling from height is a common condition that can occur in different age groups. Many types of injuries can occur due to it, such as skull fractures. Skull penetrating foreign bodies (other than fire arm injuries and explosives) are generally uncommon. Penetrating blunt objects is rare. CT is a useful modality in diagnosis of head trauma in general and in diagnosis of penetrating foreign bodies especially. Unlike magnetic resonance imaging which is useful in special cases of head trauma with a penetrating foreign body. Case Report: We present a case in which a child presented at Sohag University hospital with falling from a height less than 2 meters causing penetration of the frontal bone of the skull by a stone on the land, which is a very rare presentation. The patient presented with scalp bleeding, post-concussion and disturbed conscious level. Vital signs were normal. A Computed Tomography scan (Multislice CT – 8 slices) of the skull was done with 3D reformatted images. Conclusion: Head trauma from penetrating objects (other than knife stapes or fire arm injuries) is uncommon. Blunt object penetration is very uncommon. It can be serious or even fatal. CT is the best imaging modality for diagnosis of such lesions. Metallic artifacts can be a limitation of their role. Although the finding is almost diagnostic, still the history and clinical finding is the key for diagnosis as the shape and density of the stone in some sections could be similar to ivory osteoma.

Keywords

• computed tomography; picture archiving & communication system (pacs); three dimensional (3d)