Temporal bone fractures: a clinical diagnosis.

Temporal bone fractures may be complicated by intracranial haemorrhage, C.S.F. leakage and infection, damage to the middle and inner ear and damage to the seventh and eighth cranial nerves. Accurate early diagnosis is important to enable adequate investigation and prompt treatment of any complications. We present eight cases seen in a 12 month period in which a temporal bone fracture was not diagnosed at presentation in spite of a full clinical examination and standard skull radiographs. Five of these cases developed complications which resulted in their referral. The absence of a visible fracture on plain skull radiographs does not exclude a fracture, and those patients with clinical signs of a fracture should be treated appropriately and further investigations performed. Therefore the clinical examination is vital in diagnosing temporal bone fractures and must include careful otoscopy together with assessment of the function of the seventh and eighth cranial nerves.