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Italian Journal of Maxillofacial Surgery 2010 April;21(1):35-40

Copyright © 2010 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Condylar dislocation in the cranial fossa in paediatric age: contribution to literature

Zuccarino L. ¹, Rebuffini E. ², Cereda C. ³, Burlini D. ¹

¹ Unit of Paediatric Maxillofacial Surgery, Children Hospital, Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy 2 School of Specialization, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy 3 Neurosurgery Department, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

Dislocation of the mandibilar condyle into the middle cranial fossa is a rare event with few cases reported in the literature. The diagnosis of this injury is often missed or delayed because of the infrequency of fossa penetration in juries relative to the more common mandibular subcondylar fractures. This article reviews the literature and describes the case of a nine year-old boy victim of an accidental fall that resulted in dislocation of his right mandibular condyle into the middle cranial fossa. We also present the management strategy so that others physicians may evaluate it and do a timely diagnosis that lead to a safe and prompt treatment, especially in young patients.