Question

Bettina fell down the stairs and hit her head. She now has a 'blinding' headache, clear fluid leaking out of her nose, and she is dizzy. An x-ray reveals a fracture of the ethmoid bone. What has likely happened? What is the fluid leaking out of her nose, and how does it explain her symptoms?

Answer 1

A strong blow to the lateral side of the head can fracture the bones of the pterion, causing bleeding and the formation of a hematoma. This hematoma can accumulate and put pressure on the brain, leading to severe symptoms and potentially death.

Step-by-step explanation:

A blow to the lateral side of the head may fracture the bones of the pterion. The pterion is an important clinical landmark because located immediately deep to it on the inside of the skull is a major branch of an artery that supplies the skull and covering layers of the brain. A strong blow to this region can fracture the bones around the pterion. If the underlying artery is damaged, bleeding can cause the formation of a hematoma (collection of blood) between the brain and interior of the skull. As blood accumulates, it will put pressure on the brain. Symptoms associated with a hematoma may not be apparent immediately following the injury, but if untreated, blood accumulation will exert increasing pressure on the brain and can result in death within a few hours.