Depressed fractures over cranial venous sinus.

Seventeen patients with depressed fractures over cranial venous sinus who had undergone operations between 1993 and 1998 were reviewed retrospectively. There were 15 male and two female patients. Their ages ranged from 7 to 48 years. The most frequent causes of trauma were motor vehicle accident (in eight cases) followed by assault (in six cases). In the majority of cases, depressed fractures were localized over the superior sagittal sinus, and half of them were over the medial third of the sinus. In 11 cases, massive blood loss occurred intraoperatively that could be controlled by digital pressure with gelfoam or with a free muscle flap. Postoperative infection developed in one case and was treated successfully with antibiotic medication alone. Two patients died due to associated intracerebral lesions. The remaining 15 patients returned to daily living activity in the follow-up period.