Author(s): Tenente, Joana ; Cardoso, Ivana ; Vinhas da Silva, António ; Torres, Jacinto
Date: 2021
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.16/2520
Origin: Repositório Científico da Unidade Local de Saúde de Santo António (ULSSA)
Subject(s): bone depression; newborn; ping-pong fracture; spontaneous fracture
A female preterm was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for late prematurity and very low weight. The physical examination was normal. On the third day of life, a hard left, non-painful parietal depression was noted, with no evidence of neurological impairment. Head computed tomography (CT) showed focal sinking of the left parietal bone posteriorly to the coronal suture. A watchful attitude was adopted and the patient was discharged on day 28. The diagnosis was a “ping-pong fracture”, which can occur iatrogenically or spontaneously in uterus. This diagnosis can be confirmed by x-ray or CT scan and the prognosis is usually good, with complete deformity regression. At two months, the parietal fracture was barely perceptible, and neurological examination was normal.
