Fractures of the base of the skull are extremely dangerous injuries. In most cases, they lead to irreversible damage to the nerve tissue, and often their result is the death of the patient. According to statistics, such injuries are relatively rare - approximately 4% of traumatic brain injuries are fractures of the base of the skull.
The most common cause is a car accident. Much less often, a fracture occurs when a strong blow to the lower jaw or nose area, as well as when falling from a great height.
Classification of fractures
As you know, the base of the human skull consists of the occipital, temporal, ethmoid and sphenoid bones. And such injuries are classified by localization:
- Fractures of the anterior cranial fossa are accompanied by injuries to the bones that cover the frontal lobes;
- if the bones covering the temporal lobes of the brain and the pituitary gland were damaged, then doctors talk about fractures of the middle cranial fossa;
- for back injuriescranial fossa, damage to the bones covering the cerebellum is observed.
In addition, fractures of the base of the skull can be diagonal, transverse, longitudinal (occur in 75% of cases), oblique, or be accompanied by a detachment of the apex. Such lesions are usually open. If a fracture is accompanied by the release of blood and cerebrospinal fluid, then in modern medicine it is considered as a penetrating injury.
How dangerous is a skull fracture?
In fact, such damage is extremely dangerous, as it entails serious consequences. In case of a fracture, not only the integrity, but also the localization of the bones of the skull is violated, as a result of which hard tissues compress and even damage the brain, which, of course, cannot but affect the functioning of the nervous system.
For example, when the temporal bones are fractured, damage to the auditory nerve is observed. If the injury is inflicted in the cerebellum, then complications may appear in the form of paralysis or impaired coordination. The displacement of the bones often violates the integrity of the cranial nerves.
In addition, an open wound on the head is a gateway for infection. The most common consequences of a fracture include brain abscess, inflammation and suppuration of the meninges.
Main symptoms of a fracture
Broken bones most often cause damage to one or another part of the brain, so the signs of such an injury can be very different. As a rule, most patients feel the strongestheadache accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Fractures of the base of the skull are also accompanied by bleeding and secretion of cerebrospinal fluid from the ears and nose. In some cases, blood accumulates in the tympanic cavity. Damage to the auditory nerve leads to hearing loss, and with an injury to the optic nerves, partial or complete blindness is observed. Symptoms include periorbital ecchymosis - bruising that occurs around the eyes and is shaped like glasses.
Fracture of the base of the skull: treatment
First aid comes down to immobilizing the victim and applying a sterile bandage to the head. Until the arrival of the medical team, it is necessary to keep warm by warming the person with heating pads or bottles of warm water. You can give the patient valocordin.
As for the treatment, it all depends on the degree of damage to the bones and brain. Most often, the patient needs large doses of antibiotics, which prevent the activation of the infection. The decision on surgical intervention is made only by the treating neurosurgeon. Unfortunately, even a successful operation does not guarantee a complete recovery of the victim.
