Growing skull fractures: surgical management of difficult and atypical cases.

The authors treated and followed-up 11 patients with growing skull fractures during the last 10 years. Two atypical forms of these fractures, characterized by difficulties in surgical repair or failure of conventional procedure, were identified. Five patients required unconventional procedures to effect a cure. Thus, three required shunt surgery (ventriculoperitoneal, n = 2 and cystoperitoneal, n = 1) and two recurrent cases had a modified surgical procedure. This unique and useful method of repairing this defect is described as well.