Z.U.M.J.Vol.18; N.6; November; 2012 Subgaleal Hematoma Secondary…………. SUBGALEAL HEMATOMA SECONDARY TO HAIR BRAIDING. CASE REPORT. Mubarak Ali AlGahtany Assistant professor of Neurosurgery Department of Surgery, King Khalid University . Abha. KSA. ABSTRACT A 11-year- old girl presented to our hospital with a big subgaleal hematoma developed after hair braiding. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported of a subgaleal hematoma without mild trauma, coagulation disorder or hair pull. Peripheral blood examination is normal ( total leucocytic count,11.7 X 109 / L , total red blood cells, 6.24 X 109 /L , hemoglobin , 14 gm%, and platelets , 458 X 109 / L ). The bleeding profile is normal ( prothrombin time = 12 seconds ,the partial thromboplastin time = 33 seconds and international normalized ratio = 1.1). Other laboratory investigation are also normal with serum glucose 91 mg /dl, serum urea 23 mg/dl , serum creatinine 0.6 mg /dl, sodium 139 mg /dl , potassium 3.9 mg /dl and chlorid 106 mg /dl. CT scan of the head with and without contrast showed a large bilateral subgaleal hematoma in the upper vault of the skull with right side predominance ( figure 1). There is no abnormal enhancement, intracranial hemorrhage, intracranial AVM or other lesions. No scalp AVM and no skull fractures. Patient was discharged home to be followed in neurosurgery clinic and prior to discharge the bleeding time was tested and found to be normal and other blood samples extracted for further investigation such as clotting time and liver function tests. We advised for her to apply cold fomentation on the scalp swelling. After two weeks , the patient returned to clinic with complete fading of the scalp swelling and results of clotting time and liver function tests were with normal range. CT scan of the head was repeated and revealed complete recession of the subgaleal hematoma.( figure2) INTRODUCTION any sources have described subgaleal hematoma in the sitting of significant trauma or blood coagulopathy diseases. Here we present a rare case of the child with a significant subgaleal hematoma secondary to hair braiding without trauma or blood coagulopathy disorder. CASE PRESENTATION A 11- year- old Saudi girl presented to the neurosurgery clinic in Asir Central Hospital , Abha, Saudi Arabia with a progressive scalp swelling 9 days after hair braiding . she has no history of any bites, major or minor trauma , recent drug intake , fever or bleeding tendency. No history of any systemic disease. There is no family history of a bleeding disorder. On clinical examination , Vital signs are normal; blood pressure 116/61, heart rate 93 bpm, temperature 37oC, oxygen saturation 98% on room air. She looks well and healthy with no signs of pain or distress. Neurologically she is fully conscious, GCS 15/15 and pupils are normal size, equal and reacting to light with normal fundi bilaterally. Cranial nerves are normal and there is no focal neurological deficit. Head examination revealed a large soft painless swelling in the high parietal area of the scalp mainly in the right side but crossing over the midline to the left. The overlying skin is normal, specifically no signs of bite, trauma, burn, or inflammation. Systemic examination revealed no signs of illness, pallor or jaundice. No lymph nodes enlargements or manifestations of bleeding tendency such as purpura, bruising , echymosis , nose bleeds or bleeding gums. The chest and abdominal examination is normal. M AlGahtany M. -0101- Z.U.M.J.Vol.18; N.6; November; 2012 Subgaleal Hematoma Secondary…………. Figure1. Axial CT Scan of head with contrast showing large subgaleal hematoma surrounding most of high parietal regions. Figure2. Follow up plain CT scan showed recession of the subgaleal hematoma over two weeks . AlGahtany M. -0101- Z.U.M.J.Vol.18; N.6; November; 2012 Subgaleal Hematoma Secondary…………. pediatric age group avoid unnecessary reporting to child protective services. To the best of our knowledge , this is the first case to be reported with a large subgaleal hematoma in a child caused by a hot stream of the hair braiding without hair pulling or using tight rows of braids and without a trauma or systemic diseases. REFERENCES DISCUSSION The common cause of subgaleal hematoma is traumatic. Most reported cases are neonates , the reported incidence ranges; 1.6-3/1000 live births 1 . The risk factors are instrumental delivery , prolonged second stage of labor, precipitate labor and prematurity 2 . Beyond the neonatal period the subgaleal hematoma often develops after head trauma (e.g fall down from high, direct blow to the head , RTA , child abuse ..etc) involving tangential or radial forces applied to the scalp causing emissary veins traversing the subgaleal space to rupture 3,14. The spontaneous subgaleal hematoma is very rare. It had been reported mostly in children and specifically in ones with bleeding tendency like those with vitamin K deficiency 4 , hemophilia 5, factor XIII deficiency 6 , Von Willebrand disease 7 and acute myeloid leukemia 8 . Other reported cases involved also children who had aggressive hair treatment due to hair combing 9 , hair pulling 10 , hair braiding by tight rows of braids 3,7,11,13 . Non traumatic subgaleal hematoma was reported in association with aneurysm of superficial temporal artery 12. In our patient there is no history of trauma or suspected child abuse according to history, general examination and finding of CT Scan of the head. There is no sign of purpura or ecchymosis, the leucocyte cell count, hemoglobin, liver function tests and coagulation profile are normal. So we excluded any systemic or blood coagulopathy disorder. In view of normal bleeding and clotting times as well as normal PT an PTT, investigations like Von Willebrand antigen and bone marrow aspiration were not done .The subgaleal hematoma developed in our patient after applying hot stream during hair braiding without hair pulling or applying tight rows of braids unlike previously reported cases that linked SGH post hair braiding to hair pulling or applying tight rows. It started to resolve over two weeks without intervention and without complication or recurrence over one year of follow up. CONCLUSION Spontaneous subgaleal hematoma is rare and mostly reported in child age group. In the absence of bleeding disorders they resolve spontaneously despite of their large size and require no specific intervention. Awareness of hair braiding as a cause of subgaleal hematoma helps to avoid unnecessary investigations and interventions as well as in AlGahtany M. 1.Gebremariam A (1999). Subgaleal hemorrhage: Risk factors and neurological and developmental outcome in survivors. Ann Trop Paediatr. 19 (1):45-50. 2. Dutta S, Singh A, Narang A (2004). Subgaleal hematoma and seven exchange transfusions. Indian Pediatr. 41:267-270. 3. Vu TT, Guerrera MF, Hamburger EK et al (2004). Subgaleal hematoma from hair braiding. Case report and literature review. Pediatr Emerg Care. 20:821-823. 4. Ryan A, Gayle M, (1994) Vitamin K deficiency, intracranial hemorrhage, and a subgaleal hematoma: a fatal combination. Pediatric Emerg Care. 8:143-145. 5. Rohyans J, Miser A, Miser J. (1982) Subgaleal hemorrhage in infants with hemophilia: report of two cases and review of the literature. Pediatr. 70:306-307. 6. Maruki C, Nakajima M, Tsunoda A et al (2003). A case of giant expanding cephalhemattoma: does the administration of blood coagulation factor XIII reverse symptoms? Surg Neurol. 60:138-141. 7. Rafffini L, Tsarouhas N. (2004) Subgaleal hematoma from hair braiding leads to a diagnosis of von Willlebrand disease. Pediatr Emerg Care. 20:316-318. 8. Al-Tonbary Y A, Mansour A, Fouda A (2010). Acute myeloid leukemia presenting with a large subgaleal hematoma. Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Ther. 3(1):51-2. 9. Falvo CE, San Filippo JA, Vartany A et al (1981): Subgaleal hematoma from hair combing. Peddiatrics. 68:583-584. 10. Scott M. (1968): Subgaleal hematoma caused by hair pull. JAMA. 205(5):314 11. Palmer K M, Olan W J, Vezina L G et al (1998): Scalp hematomas in children after hair braiding. Emergency Radiology, 5 (3):176-179. 12. Koizumi K, Suzuki S, Utsuki S (2010): A Case of Non-Traumatic Subgaleal Hematoma Effectively Treated with Endovascular Surgery. Interv Neuroradiol. 16(3):317-21. 13. Onyeama CO, Lotke M, Edelstein B. (2009): Subgaleal hematoma secondary to hair braiding in a 31-month-old child. Pediatr Emerg Care. 25(1):40-1. 14. Seifert D, Püschel K (2006) Subgaleal hematoma in child abuse. Forensic Sci Int. 10;157(2-3):131-3. -0101-
© Copyright 2024