Korean J Neurotrauma.  2016 Oct;12(2):152-155. 10.13004/kjnt.2016.12.2.152.

Intracerebral Hemorrhagic Infarction after Cranioplasty in a Patient with Sinking Skin Flap Syndrome

• Han JH
• Lee MS

• KMID: 2356791
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.13004/kjnt.2016.12.2.152

Abstract

The sinking skin flap syndrome (SSFS) is a rare complication after a large craniectomy. Hemorrhage infarction after a cranioplasty is a very rare complication with only 4 cases to date. We report a case of the patient who underwent an autologous cranioplasty to treat SSFS that developed intracerebral hemorrhage infarction. A 20-year-old male was admitted to our emergency department with stuporous mentality. Emergent decompressive craniectomy (DC) have done. He had suffered from SSFS and fever of unknown origin (FUO) since DC. After 7 months of craniectomy, cranioplasty was done. After 1 day of surgery, acute infarction with hemorrhagic transformation involved left cerebral hemisphere. We controlled increased intracranial pressure by using osmotic diuretics, steroid and antiepileptic drugs. After 14 day of surgery, he improved neurological symptoms and he had not any more hyperthermia. Among several complication of large cranioplasty only 4 cases of intracerebral hemorrhagic infarction due to reperfusion injury has been reported. In this case, unstable autoregulation system made brain hypoxic damage and then reperfusion and recanalization of cerebral vessels resulted in intracerebral hemorrhagic infarction. 7 month long FUO was resolved by cranioplasty.

Keyword

Sinking skin flap syndrome; Cranioplasty; Hemorrhagic infarction; Reperfusion injury

MeSH Terms

Anticonvulsants
Brain
Cerebral Hemorrhage
Cerebrum
Decompressive Craniectomy
Diuretics, Osmotic
Emergency Service, Hospital
Fever
Fever of Unknown Origin
Hemorrhage
Homeostasis
Humans
Infarction*
Intracranial Pressure
Male
Reperfusion
Reperfusion Injury
Skin*
Stupor
Young Adult
Anticonvulsants
Diuretics, Osmotic