basal skull fracture


Also found in: Acronyms.

ba·sal skull frac·ture

a fracture involving the base of the cranium.

basal skull fracture

A fracture involving the bones of the base of the skull, the so-called  facial skeleton or viscerocranium.

Clinical findings
May be asymptomatic; symptomatic findings include raccoon eyes, Battle sign, haemotympanum, CSF rhinorrhoea.
 
Imaging
Plain skull film may not reveal fracture; CT or MRI is more reliable.

basal skull fracture

Orthopedics A fracture involving the base of the cranium Clinical May be asymptomatic; raccoon eyes, Battle sign, hemotympanum, CSF rhinorrhea Imaging Plain skull film may not reveal fracture; CT or MRI is more reliable. See LeFort fracture.
Mentioned in ?
References in periodicals archive ?
These were a large boggy scalp hematoma, any sign of basal skull fracture, and a risky mechanism of injury (such as falling a distance of 3 feet or more, failing down five or more stairs, or a motor vehicle accident).
High-risk factors trigger the use of emergency pediatric head CT
Three other NASCAR drivers have died in the past nine months from the same potentially preventable injury, basal skull fracture.
Access battle for Earnhardt autopsy photos puts SPJ in national spotlight
Sentinel staff writers Roger Roy and Jeff Kunerth, in their March 11 story, wrote that Editor Franklin "wants a medical expert to review the photos to determine whether Earnhardt died of the same type of basal skull fracture that killed three NASCAR drivers last year."
Shoptalk
Doctors disclosed that Yee suffered a basal skull fracture as a result of the severe head trauma.
Airport police investigates apparent suicide at NAIA 3
Basal skull fractures account for 21% of all skull fractures.
Post-traumatic Delayed Peripheral Facial Palsy

Medical browser ?
Full browser ?