Ring fracture of the skull base: case report and review of the literature.

Ring fractures of the skull base are rare and have hitherto been regarded as invariably fatal injuries. They are difficult to diagnose, as routine radiographs of the head and spine are usually normal. Increasing use of computerized tomography in the evaluation of head and neck injuries may, however, lead to an increased frequency of diagnosis of this injury. We present a case of such a fracture where the patient survived with a generally good neurological recovery.