Penetrating Cranial Nail Injury an Unusual Domestic Assault: Case Report
A rare case of intracranial nail injury caused by domestic violence is presented. The 35-year old female patient was found unconscious with a 12cm nail almost completely buried into her skull. X-ray of the skull showed the nail in the cranial cavity. A burr hole was made and the nail removed. Immedi...
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Published in | East and Central African journal of surgery Vol. 10; no. 2 |
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Main Author | |
Format | Journal Article |
Published |
Uganda
Association of Surgeons of East Africa and College of Surgeons of East Central and Southern Africa
26.05.2006
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Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | A rare case of intracranial nail injury caused by domestic violence is
presented. The 35-year old female patient was found unconscious with a
12cm nail almost completely buried into her skull. X-ray of the skull
showed the nail in the cranial cavity. A burr hole was made and the
nail removed. Immediate post-operative period showed a Glasgow coma
score of 10/15 and right hemi paresis which improved with time. At six
month after the injury, her neurological status was normal. Despite the
lack of a CT scan in some areas attempt must be made using clinical
judgment and performance of burr holes to treat such patients who
cannot afford transfer to a standard neurological centre. This report
also highlights the fact that penetrating brain injuries of this nature
can occur without much neurological deficit and that a minimally
invasive surgical approach can be used successfully to manage such
cases while avoiding serious postoperative complications. |
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ISSN: | 1024-297X |