Successful repair of an encephalocele wound in a child following a car accident: A case report

Zhiyu Li; Pu Zhao; Xinjun Yang; Cong Fu; Zhen Zhang; Ran Huo; Guangqi Xu

doi:10.3892/etm.2023.12339

Successful repair of an encephalocele wound in a child following a car accident: A case report

Exp Ther Med. 2023 Dec 5;27(2):50. doi: 10.3892/etm.2023.12339. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Authors

Zhiyu Li¹, Pu Zhao², Xinjun Yang³, Cong Fu³, Zhen Zhang⁴, Ran Huo^{1

3}, Guangqi Xu^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China.
² Department of Plastic Surgery, Liaocheng Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China.
³ Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China.
⁴ Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China.
⁵ Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong 250011, P.R. China.

Abstract

Repair of large cranial complex traumas in children is difficult. Notably, children have poorer underlying conditions than adults and are frailer under trauma. In addition, children have more limited treatment options, leading to the need to consider long-term functional and aesthetic outcomes. The present report describes the case of a 2-year-old child weighing 9 kg who experienced a skull fracture with encephalocele after a car accident and had a poor underlying condition. An artificial dura mater combined with bone cement was used to repair the skull, and then a free latissimus dorsi muscle flap (LDMF) combined with a split-thickness skin graft (STSG) was used to cover the wound, allowing the child to overcome the life-threatening situation as soon as possible with a satisfactory outcome. LDMF combined with STSG is an ideal option in repairing head wounds in children. Preoperative imaging and postoperative care also serve an important role in the success of the operation. When the situation is critical, multidisciplinary team treatment can guarantee the safety of the child.

Keywords: LDMF; STSG; encephalocele; scalp reconstruction; trauma.

Publication types

Case Reports

Grants and funding

Funding: The present study was supported by the Clinical Medical Science Innovation Program of Jinan (grant no. 202019076), Taishan Scholars (grant no. ts201511100) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 82172227).