Blunt cerebrovascular injuries in the craniofacial fracture population—Are we screening the right patients?

Abstract

Current knowledge of blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVIs) in craniomaxillofacial fracture (CMF) patients is limited. The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence of BCVIs in patients with all types of CMF. This retrospective study included CMF patients in a level 1 trauma centre during a 3-year period. Patients who were not imaged with computed tomography angiography and patients with mechanisms other than blunt injury were excluded. The primary outcome variable was BCVI. A total of 753 patients were included in the analysis. A BCVI was detected in 4.4% of the patients screened. BCVIs occurred in 8.7% of cranial fracture patients, 7.1% of combined craniofacial fracture patients, and 3.1% of facial fracture patients. The risk of BCVI was significantly increased in patients with isolated cranial fractures (odds ratio (OR) 2.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18–5.50; P=0.017), those involved in motor vehicle accidents (OR 3.42, 95% CI 1.63–7.17; P=0.001), and those sustaining high-energy injuries (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.57–6.40; P=0.001). BCVIs in CMF patients are relatively common in high-energy injuries. However, these injuries also occur in minor traumas. Imaging thresholds should be kept low in this patient population when BCVIs are suspected.