Penetrating head injury is rare and, their management is nonstandard with persistent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage being possibly challenging to treat. A 34-year-old man with no past medical history was referred in emergency room for an impressive accidental penetrating craniocerebral wound through which the brain was extruding due to the raised intracranial pressure. Computed tomography scan showed a comminuted frontal fracture extended to the anterior skull base and a severe bifrontal lobe concussion with a diffuse intracranial hemorrhage. A debridement and washout of the craniocerebral wound were achieved with careful hemostasis followed by a decompressive craniectomy. Fortunately, the patient survived but, the CSF continued to leak through the anterior skull base fracture with no endoscopic treatment possibility. Fifteen days after the initial trauma, a surgical sealing was decided using a large fascia lata sheath harvested on the right thigh by a “S”-shaped incision. A significant piece of fascia lata was cut off and meticulously sutured to the remaining dura mater rims in double-layered watertight fashion. Both cranial and right thigh wounds healed uneventfully and the CSF leak never reoccurred. Twenty-two weeks after the initial trauma, a custom-made titanium cranioplasty was inserted without any dissection difficulty. In case of persistent CSF leakage not amenable to endonasal endoscopic treatment, the use of a large piece of facia lata harvested on the thigh using an “S”-shaped incision is a simple, reliable way to efficiently repair a large dura mater defect. It requires neither special skills nor sophisticated instruments.

This case report complies with the guidelines for human studies and was conducted ethically in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval was not required for this case report in accordance with the French Scientific Research Ethics Committee policies. Informed consent for publication of this case report and any accompanied images was obtained from the patient.

Article published online:
31 January 2024

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