title: Anomalous parietal suture mimicking skull fracture.
abstract: Anomalous sutures of the parietal bone are exceedingly rare events. We present the case of a child admitted to the hospital after a near-drowning incident who subsequently expired. He was diagnosed with a parietal skull fracture by computed tomography scan before death. This was found to be an anomalous suture by postmortem histologic examination. Division of the parietal bone is an unusual event with anomalous sutures, which can be mistaken for fractures on radiographic or postmortem examination. Although fractures are much more common, it is prudent to evaluate all fractures and/or fracture-like abnormalities by histologic examination when possible to avoid misdiagnosing blunt trauma to the head.
authors.affiliation: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Roanoke, VA 24019, USA. amy.tharp@vdh.virginia.gov
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tharp
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Jason
mesh_terms: D003393:Cranial Sutures / Q000002:abnormalities*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010294:Parietal Bone / Q000002:abnormalities*; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed