Pediatric neurosurgery
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Pediatric neurosurgery · May 1997
Intracranial neurological injuries associated with orbital fracture.
We attempted to define the central nervous system (CNS) concomitants of various types of orbital fractures in children by reviewing the records of 95 inpatients with admission diagnoses including orbital fracture who presented to the Children's National Medical Center from 1987 through 1994. Patients were divided into three age groups: group I: 0-5 years; group II: 6-12 years; group III: older than 12 years. Orbital fractures were classified by location: roof alone (A); orbital roof plus another orbital wall (B), and orbital fractures sparing the roof (C). ⋯ Seven of the patients with intracranial injury required emergent neurosurgical procedures. Younger children with maxillofacial injury sparing the orbital roof appear more likely to have coexisting intracranial injury, as reflected by CT findings and GCS on admission, than their older cohorts with similar injuries. Fracture of more than one orbital wall greatly increases risk of concurrent intracranial injury in all age groups.