The cranial fracture is any type of fracture that occurs in one of the bones of the skull, which is more common after a heavy blow to the head or due to a fall of great height.
In these cases, it is also common to develop a head injury, which occurs when the brain also suffers injuries, leading to fainting and even more serious complications, such as loss of vision, loss of movement in some limb and even coma.
For this reason, a cranial fracture is considered an emergency situation that should be treated and evaluated as quickly as possible in the hospital, even if you are not sure if a fracture actually occurred. However, if a high fall has occurred, it is recommended to call for medical help and avoid moving the person, as this can cause spinal injuries.
Here's what to do in case of a high drop.
Main symptoms
Symptoms of a fracture of the skull may vary depending on the site affected, however, the most common include:
- Headache at impact site;
- "Rooster" in the head or small high;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Fainting or confusion;
- Loss of balance.
In addition, there may be more severe symptoms such as bleeding through the nose, eyes or ears, severe headache, exaggerated swelling of the site and presence of purple spots on the scalp or face.
In any case, you should always go to the hospital after you hit your head hard to make a neurological evaluation and assess whether there is any type of brain injury that needs to be treated.
How to confirm the diagnosis
Diagnosis of a fracture of the skull should always be confirmed in the hospital, as it is necessary to perform a cranial X-ray to confirm the presence of the fracture, especially if there is no change in the shape of the skull. In addition, other tests, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, are also often needed to identify if brain lesions appear that need to be treated.
Main types of skull fracture
The types of fractures in the skull may range from complete or partial depending on whether there has been a complete bone fracture or not. In addition, depending on the site and structures it affects, the fracture can also be classified as follows:
- Closed fracture : occurs when the scalp remains intact, presenting no wound;
- Open fracture : arises when there is a wound on the scalp where it is possible to leave a piece of bone;
- Fracture with depression : when the two parts of the bone are turned inwards toward the brain;
- Basal Fracture : It appears in the region of the base of the skull around the eyes, nose, ears and top of the neck.
Usually in the type of basal fracture it is possible to observe a characteristic very common to this type of fracture that is called "panda eyes" due to the appearance of purple spots around the eyes.
How is the treatment done?
The treatment of a fracture in the skull is different from that of any other fracture in the body. For example, when the fracture is not very large and causes no symptoms, the doctor may only recommend constant vigilance to ensure that the bones are healing without requiring specific treatment. However, during recovery should avoid any kind of blow to the head.
If symptoms do occur, the doctor evaluates the complexity of the fracture and assesses whether it is better to have surgery or keep the fracture healing naturally, recommending only a few remedies to relieve the symptoms, especially the headache.
However, if the fracture is more complex, surgery may be necessary to correct the deformation and allow the bone to heal properly.
