An unusual cause of depressed skull fracture: case report

BACKGROUND: Camel collision accidents are a common occurrence in Saudi Arabia, with a high rate of mortality and morbidity. Isolated injuries are rare because of the nature of impact sustained by the person. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 4-year-old child with an isolated depressed skull fracture resulting from a camel collision is described. The other occupants of the car were crushed to death. The child sustained only an impact to his head, causing a compound depressed skull fracture with localized cortical damage. CONCLUSIONS: Camel collision accidents are a common cause of mortality and morbidity in Saudi Arabia. Isolated skull injuries are rare and result from a localized impact. This is the first report of a compound depressed skull fracture from such an incident. The extent of the problem and efforts toward prevention are described.