EXTRADURAL HEMATOMA IN INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD

The formation of extradural hematoma is well known as a result of head injury in adults.¹ It is much less frequently recognized that extradural hematoma often occurs in infancy and childhood, the literature being confined to isolated case reports. In fact, such authors as Munro and Maltby,^1b Peet² and Gurdjian^1c stated that the lesion is a rarity in the pediatric age group. Our experience indicates that the occurrence of extradural hematoma in infants and children is more frequent than the literature suggests, 20 instances being found among approximately 1,000 cases of head injury in patients below the age of 12 years. Since the clinical signs usually differ greatly from those seen in adults, the extradural hematomas may be easily overlooked. Prompt neurosurgical treatment is life saving and has been associated with a low mortality rate. For these reasons, we summarize the material of a pediatric neurosurgical