Head injuries in children from plastic hairbeads.
BACKGROUND
Plastic hairbeads are often worn as decorative hair fasteners by children. Serious, penetrating head injuries may result from their use and have been observed in some children following a fall.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this report is to describe the imaging findings in children who have sustained head injury while wearing plastic hairbeads.


METHODS
Three children with significant head injuries resulting from embedded hairbeads are described. Three additional cases of minor head injury reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission are summarized.


RESULTS
One child sustained a minimally depressed skull fracture without brain injury. The second child required surgical repair of a depressed skull fracture complicated by a parenchymal hemorrhage and dural tear. A third child required surgical evacuation of an organized, liquefied epidural hematoma 2 weeks after an initial evaluation at an outside emergency room.


CONCLUSIONS
Children wearing plastic hairbeads are at risk for severe head injury following a fall. Caution must accompany their use.
Geller
E
E
Department of Radiology, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Erie Avenue at Front Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134, USA.
Yoon
M S
MS
Loiselle
J
J
Crisci
K L
KL
Bierbrauer
K S
KS
D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006407:Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed