Spontaneous Slow Drainage of Epidural Hematoma Into the Subgaleal Space Through a Skull Fracture in an Infant -Case Report-

Abstract

A 4-month-old girl fell off a table onto the floor. Computed tomography performed 4 hours after the trauma showed a left parietal epidural hematoma (EDH) with an omega-shaped fracture line in the left parietal region. The EDH was enlarged after another 4 hours. However, the EDH showed drainage into the subgaleal space through the skull fracture 2 days after the trauma and was almost completely discharged into the subgaleal space by 5 days after trauma. Both the EDH and the subgaleal hematoma had resolved completely by 12 days after the trauma. No symptoms or signs were observed during the course. This case suggests that EDH can drain slowly and spontaneously into the subgaleal space through a skull fracture in an infant.

Hematoma subgaleal espontáneo en lactantes, una enfermedad subestimada, serie de casos

“…El diagnóstico diferencial se establece con caput sucedaneum, cefalohematomas, angioedema, celulitis y neoplasias (12,13). Se debe recordar, si hubo traumatismo craneal, que podría ser el reflejo de una fractura incluso cuando se presente tardíamente (14). La anamnesis, el examen físico y el uso de ecografía, tomografía computarizada o resonancia magnética, en los casos donde haya duda diagnóstica, constituyen el abordaje recomendado (1,12).…”