Identifying skull fractures after head trauma in infants with ultrasonography: is that possible?

Abstract

Management of pediatric head trauma requires a delicate balance between accuracy and safety, with a dual emphasis on prompt diagnosis while minimizing radiation exposure. Ultrasonography (US) shows promise in this regard. A case study involving a 10-month-old infant with acute right parietal swelling revealed the utility of US in detecting a corresponding hypoechoic lesion, along with an underlying suspected fracture line of the vault and subdural hematoma. Subsequent CT confirmed the fracture, while MRI confirmed the subdural hematoma. At one-month follow-up, MRI demonstrated hematoma reabsorption, while US revealed a bone callus in its advanced phase. Although US is not yet standard practice for pediatric head trauma, its ability to detect fractures in infants suggests its potential role: when a fracture is evident on US, it may serve as an indication to perform neuroimaging. Potentially, adoption of US could contribute to mitigation of children's exposure to ionizing radiation.