Pediatric golf-related head injuries.
OBJECTIVE
Golf-related head injuries constitute an increasingly common mechanism of head trauma in children. We present our experience with 33 pediatric cases of golf-associated head injury, with special emphasis in the type of injury, management strategy, and outcome.


METHODS
A thorough review of all children admitted to our hospital with golf-related head injury during a period of 10 years (1 January 1994 to 31 December 2003) was undertaken. The patients' charts, operative reports, imaging studies, and follow-up data were analyzed. A comparison of our findings with those described in the pertinent literature was subsequently performed.


CONCLUSIONS
Pediatric golf-related head trauma is a significant cause of sport-associated head injury, sometimes harboring a very dismal prognosis. The significance of establishing a task force for the prevention of these injuries cannot be overemphasized.
Fountas
Kostas N
KN
Department of Neurosurgery, The Medical Center of Central Georgia, School of Medicine, Mercer University, Macon, GA, USA. knfountasmd@excite.com
Kapsalaki
Eftychia Z
EZ
Machinis
Theofilos G
TG
Boev
Angel
A
Troup
E Christopher
EC
Robinson
Joe Sam
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006055:Golf; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome