A CASE OF PING-PONG SKULL FRACTURE TREATED SURGICALLY IN A NON-HIGH RISK INJURY SITUATION

Abstract

　　A 2-month-old girl was admitted to our hospital after her 2-year-old brother accidentally fell on her head. Initial neurological examination was normal, but a depression fracture was palpated in the right temporal region. Head computed tomography revealed a ping-pong fracture. We performed surgery. The patient had no postoperative complications and was discharged after 8 days. In infants, some depressed skull fractures are referred to as ‘ping-pong’ fractures due to the relative plasticity of the skull. While ping-pong fractures in infants often result from low-risk injury mechanisms, those occurring after infancy are typically associated with high-risk injury mechanisms, as defined by JATEC^TM, such as trauma caused by traffic accidents. Ping-pong fractures are conditions where spontaneous reduction is anticipated. Therefore, the decision for surgical intervention should be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis. In the present case, the patient had a rare non-high-risk injury and underwent early surgical treatment with a favorable outcome.