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Pediatric Skull Fractures

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Critical Findings in Neuroradiology

Abstract

Lesions associated to skull fractures are a leading cause of death and disability in children. Skull fractures can be classified into several types not only by the energy of the trauma and the striking object but also to the characteristics of the developing skull. Some fracture types are specific of infants, such as “ping pong” and growing fractures. CT is the most useful imaging technique in the acute setting, although MRI may be occasionally indicated. Radiographs are no longer routinely used, as detection of isolated skull fractures without evaluation of the underlying brain serves no clinical purpose. Skull radiographs may help search for foreign bodies in cases of trauma or document fractures for legal purposes. Knowledge of the normal skull development and expected pathological findings are essential for correct diagnosis and treatment of these patients.

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Correspondence to Mariana Cardoso Diogo MD .

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Diogo, M.C., Conceição, C.R. (2016). Pediatric Skull Fractures. In: Hoffmann Nunes, R., Abello, A., Castillo, M. (eds) Critical Findings in Neuroradiology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27987-9_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27987-9_26

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-27985-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-27987-9

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