Sinus pericranii: a clinical and radiological review of an unusual condition.

Sinus pericranii is an unusual and rare condition characterized by an abnormal communication between an intracranial venous sinus and the extracranial venous circulation. Patients are usually children and often asymptomatic, presenting only when cosmetic concerns are raised by the parents or the presence of a scalp lump is noted. The diagnosis is made on clinical grounds with supportive evidence from radiological investigations such as plain skull X-rays, CT scans, MR scans and cerebral angiography. The treatment may be conservative but surgical excision is usually required, whether for cosmetic integrity or for fear of direct trauma with life threatening haemorrhage. The aetiology and pathophysiology of this condition remains poorly understood. We present a case of a 6-year-old boy with sinus pericranii that was treated with surgical excision and repair. The radiological investigations employed to confirm the diagnosis are presented, including a Doppler ultrasound of the lesion. We also present a review of the literature on this condition.