• Lawrance K Chung, Yuri Cheung, Carlito Lagman, Nicholas Au Yong, Duncan Q McBride, and Isaac Yang.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
• Childs Nerv Syst. 2017 Sep 1; 33 (9): 1609-1611.

BackgroundThe popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, raises safety concerns as they become increasingly common for commercial, personal, and recreational use. Collisions between drones and people may result in serious injuries.Case ReportA 13-year-old male presented with a comminuted depressed skull fracture causing effacement of the superior sagittal sinus secondary to a racing drone impact. The patient experienced a brief loss of consciousness and reported lower extremity numbness and weakness after the accident. Imaging studies revealed bone fragments crossing the superior sagittal sinus with a short, focal segment of blood flow interruption. Neurosurgical intervention was deferred given the patient's improving neurological deficits, and the patient was treated conservatively. He was discharged home in stable condition.ConclusionDrones may represent a hazard when operated inappropriately due to their capacity to fly at high speeds and altitudes. Impacts from drones can carry enough force to cause skull fractures and significant head injuries. The rising popularity of drones likely translates to an increased incidence of drone-related injuries. Thus, clinicians should be aware of this growing trend.

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