complications
Last reviewed 01/2018
Most patients make a rapid and complete recovery from a compound, depressed fracture of the skull. Possible complications may include:
- infection:
- usually meningitis
- 11-15% of patients with an acute CSF leak will become infected
- a persistent CSF leak give an 85% chance of infection by 10 years
- commonest pathogen is Streptococcus pneumoniae
- epilepsy:
- occurs in 24% of cases
- more common when the dura is torn, when focal signs are present, or when post traumatic amnesia exceeds 24 hours
- the incidence is not altered by removal of bone fragments