Brain contusion in children
Contusion and laceration of the brain is a severe closed head injury that causes the brain tissue to slide and collide in the cranial cavity. The deformation and shear stress of the brain tissue cause contusions and punctate hemorrhages on the surface of the brain tissue. When the injury is severe, it can cause tearing of the gray and white matter of the brain, forming a brain laceration. Contusion and laceration of the brain are rare in infants and young children, but they often occur in older children whose skulls are basically mature. This is mainly because the skulls of infants and young children are flexible and elastic, which can buffer external impact forces. The narrow subarachnoid space limits the violent movement of brain tissue. The bottom of the anterior middle cranial fossa is smooth, and the impact force on the brain tissue is relatively light. In general, the incidence of brain contusion and laceration in children is much lower than that in adults because the inner plate of the skull is smoother than that of adults and the brain tissue is more elastic.