title: A rare complication of Epistats.
abstract: We report a 53-year-old man who sustained severe facial and base of skull fractures. At the scene of his accident he had Epistats (Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Memphis, TN, USA) placed for control of his severe nasal haemorrhage, subsequently resulting in the migration of one Epistat into the anterior cranial fossa. There are numerous reports of inadvertent intracranial placement of medical equipment, predominantly in association with complex facial and skull trauma. Other factors that can predispose to aberrant location include previous anterior cranial base surgery and lesions affecting structures in that area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Hobart Hospital, 48 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia; Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Butterfield Street, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia. Electronic address: poulgrain@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Poulgrain
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Butterfield Street, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tollesson
mesh_terms: D057785:Catheters / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications*; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000628:therapy*; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000150:complications
keywords: Craniocerebral trauma; Epistat; Epistaxis; Haemostatic techniques; Intubation; Pneumocephalus