REVIEW   

Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences 2020 December;64(6):552-7

DOI: 10.23736/S0390-5616.20.05052-3

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Infant ossified cephalohematoma: a review of the surgical management and technical update

Tommaso CALLONI ^{1, 2} ✉, Andrea TREZZA ², Fabio MAZZOLENI ³, Marilou CAVALIERE ^{1, 2}, Francesco CANONICO ⁴, Erik SGANZERLA ^{1, 2}, Carlo GIUSSANI ^{1, 2}

¹ School of Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; ² Unit of Neurosurgery, San Gerardo Hospital, ASST Monza, Monza, Monza-Brianza, Italy; ³ Unit of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, San Gerardo Hospital, ASST Monza, Monza, Monza-Brianza, Italy; ⁴ Unit of Neuroradiology, San Gerardo Hospital, ASST Monza, Monza, Monza-Brianza, Italy

Cephalohematoma is a subperiosteal collection of blood above the skull. It is associated with operative and prolonged deliveries. In most cases the hematoma spontaneously resolves in a short span of time, usually within one month. In a few cases cephalohematoma can become ossified and require surgical treatment. Traditional belief that ossified cephalohematomas are an exclusively cosmetic issue has been called into question by recent description of EEG anomalies associated to a calcified cephalohematoma. We review relevant surgical literature, and we describe a novel variant of Wong’s Radial Cap technique by foregoing healthy bone margin removal, removing the cephalohematoma lamellae in a stepwise fashion and using resorbable plaques for fixation. We furthermore review the rationale, timing and step-by-step execution of the procedure. An exemplary case description is discussed.

KEY WORDS: Neurosurgery; Hematoma; Surgical procedures, operative