Epidural hematoma and depressed skull fracture resulted from pin headrest - A rare complication: Case report

The standard three or four-point pin fixation systems immobilizing the head are common procedure for intracranial surgery. Intraoperative epidural hematoma complicated with depressed skull fracture resulting from pin headrest is a rare but devastating complication. Early diagnosis via computed tomographic scan and decompressive surgery with evacuation of hematoma influence the neurological outcome. We, herein, reported a 15-year-old boy who underwent a suboccipital craniotomy with removal of cerebellar tumor sustained with intraoperative supratentorial epidural hematoma and depressed skull fracture in the site of pin insertion. After emergent decompressive surgery, his neurological deficits recovered well. The relevant literature is also reviewed.