Growing skull fracture: a posttraumatic neosuture.
BACKGROUND
A case of a growing skull fracture presenting in adulthood is reported. Pertinent literature was reviewed with an emphasis on pathogenesis.


METHODS
A search through MEDLINE from 1994 through 2004 was used and supplemented by searches of secondary sources retrieved from referenced articles.


RESULTS
Current hypotheses for the pathogenesis of growing skull fractures were critically analyzed. A new hypothesis based in more recent data is proposed in an attempt to better understand this process.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed hypothesis seems to explain better the timing in which the clinical features in growing skull fracture develop.
Drapkin
Allan J
AJ
Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. Pbdrapkin@aol.com
D000328:Adult; D016080:Arachnoid Cysts / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004678:Encephalomalacia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005599:Fractures, Ununited / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011859:Radiography; D012886:Skull / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome