Left temporal bone fracture

If you have a left temporal bone fracture, you should pay more attention to rest and take corresponding treatment measures according to the different degrees of your fracture. If you feel it is very serious, you must fix it as soon as possible. Only in this way can your condition improve faster. During the fracture period, it is best not to do any physical labor and you must pay attention to bed rest.

Temporal bone fractures may have different clinical manifestations depending on the fracture pattern:

1. Longitudinal fracture:

It is mostly caused by impact on the temples or top of the head. Ossicular dislocation or fracture is common. When the tympanic cavity is damaged but the tympanic membrane is not ruptured, blood will accumulate in the tympanic cavity, the tympanic membrane will appear blue, and there may be blood in the saliva. When the eardrum ruptures, blood will flow out from the external channel. If the meninges rupture, cerebrospinal fluid will leak out of the ear. Long-term CSF otorrhea may cause meningitis. Conductive hearing loss may occur when the middle ear is damaged. In a few cases, the facial nerve is affected, causing facial paralysis and loss of taste in the front 2/3 of the tongue. Facial paralysis is usually temporary.

(ii) Transverse fracture:

Mainly caused by violence to the occipital area. The inner ear is severely damaged, and there is often bleeding in the cochlea and semicircular canals. When the labyrinth is damaged, there will be severe vertigo, nausea, and vomiting. Examination may show tilting and spontaneous nystagmus, which may last for several weeks and disappear after compensation by the contralateral side. Vestibular function examination showed functional loss on the affected side and sensorineural hearing loss. The middle ear is rarely injured. Occasionally, the labyrinth is injured and the inner wall of the middle ear is also cracked, resulting in rupture of the cochlear window membrane and accumulation of blood in the tympanic cavity. About half of the patients suffer from facial paralysis, which is permanent.

(III) Petrous apex fracture:

It is rare and can damage cranial nerves II, III, IV, V, and VI, causing eye symptoms such as amblyopia, ptosis, smaller palpebral fissure, pupil dilation, diplopia, strabismus, restricted eye movement, or symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia. If the internal carotid artery is damaged, massive bleeding may occur, and the patient often dies before rescue.

Therefore, anyone who has hearing loss, ruptured tympanic membrane or hemotympanic cavity, dizziness, or facial paralysis after head trauma is suffering from damage to the middle ear and inner ear, and can be diagnosed with temporal bone fracture. X-rays can show the fracture line. Transverse fractures are easier to show, and when no fracture is found on X-rays, temporal bone fractures cannot be ruled out. [1]