Resident Manual of Trauma to the Face, Head and Neck

C. Presentation Since the patients have been struck with a good deal of force, many present in the emergency room in an unconscious state. The patient is emergently assessed, as outlined in Chapter 1. In the course of investi- gating for any central injury, a fractured frontal sinus may be apparent, but is often overlooked by virtue of the emergency stabilization and rapid evaluation required for a badly injured patient. The patient often has had an unconscious period and suffers headache. The infraorbital nerve may have been traumatized during the traumatic event, and the patient may complain of forehead numbness. There may be epistaxis, and the blood may be mixed with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Fractures involving the anterior wall may produce deformity. 1. Anterior Wall Fractures Linear fractures of the anterior wall are often overlooked, but even if detected there would be no mandate to treat them. They may present with a subgaleal hematoma that resembles a depressed fracture because of its raised and irregular outline. Conversely, if the fracture is depressed, it will appear as a distinct depression in the area of fracture. However, if the patient is seen sometime after the occurrence of the injury, the depression may fill with blood, and the displaced area will be effaced. Compound fractures are by definition in continuity with a forehead laceration. These fractures are often comminuted. and depressed bone fragments are seen in the depths of the cutaneous wound. Blood, CSF, and even brain may be seen coming through the laceration. 2. Posterior Wall Fractures Isolated posterior wall fractures are very uncommon. If present, they are often part of a calvarial vault fracture. There are no presenting differentiating symptoms. The dilemma regarding treatment centers on distinguishing between a linear-only fracture versus a displaced fracture. Only a fine-cut computed tomography (CT) scan taken in the axial and sagittal planes will give enough definition to clearly establish or rule out displacement. When the physician is in doubt, the fracture should be treated. A clear sign of a displaced posterior wall fracture is the presence of CSF rhinorrea. If mixed with blood, the CSF leak can be identified by looking for the “halo sign.” A drop of nasal drainage is allowed to fall on a surgical towel. If the halo spreading from the central blood clot is more than double the width of the clot, then this is a sign of a CSF leak and thus an anterior dural tear.

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