The Clinical Course and Diagnostics Peculiarities of Combined Cranio-Facial Traumas in Children

Margar Martirosyan

The case histories of 430 children with combined cranio-cerebral traumas (CCT) were studied. Combinations of CCT with facial lesions (cranio-facial traumas) were observed in 104 children (24,2%). The age of the patients varied from 2 to 15 years, boys - 74 (71,2%) and girls - 30 (28,8%). The following peculiarities of the clinical course of cranio-facial traumas were observed: 1. Expressed edema of soft tissue of the face and head (in 1/3 of the patients), which made difficult checking and adequate assessment of the craniocerebral nerves and detection of eye injuries. 2. Hemorrhage from injuried parts of the face, massive sensitive innervation of the facial region causing development of traumatic-hemorrhagic shock in 47,1% of the injured. 3. Frequent (in 1/3 of the patients) development of respiratory disorders needing urgent interventions, and making difficult the assessment of CCT gravity. 4. Quite often - in 14,4% development of rhinorrhea and threat of intracranial infections complications. 5. Difficulties connected with the treatment and care in the acute period of the trauma, due to psychic disorders caused by frequent injury of the frontal lobes and also because of the young age.

Keywords:  children's traumatism, combined cranio-cerebral traumas, cranio-facial injuries, neurological diagnostics