Skull base fracture involving the foramen spinosum - an indirect sign of middle meningeal artery lesion: Case report and literature review

Abstract

Skull base fractures comprise a relatively common finding among trauma patients. Before the widespread use of computed tomography (CT), these lesions used to be misdiagnosed. Currently, with improved imaging technology, diagnosis of skull base fractures is no longer cumbersome. On the other hand, cranial fractures involving the foramen spinosum are rarely described in the literature. In this present article, we report on a patient affected by head trauma, who suffered from a vault fracture towards the foramen spinosum and acute epidural hematoma (EH) due to middle meningeal artery injury. We further discuss the clinical consequences of foramen spinosum fracture.