A series of 75 children with traumatic extradural haematomas operated on at our Department between 1982 and 1988 were analysed in detail. The overall mortality rate was 17%. CT scan constituted a valuable tool for an early and correct diagnosis, and the mortality rate declined to 9% in the post-CT era. The outcome was found to be predominantly affected by the preoperative neurological status, by the duration of the time interval between onset of coma and surgical intervention, and mainly by the presence of associated brain lesions.

Subperiosteal haematoma of the orbit following minor head trauma is extremely rare. A 5-year-old girl is presented with bilateral proptosis, chemosis, extraocular palsy, and progressive visual loss after minor head trauma. She had no evidence of fracture or abnormality of coagulation. The intraorbital haematoma resulted most probably from the oozings of a subgaleal haemorrhage which entered the subperiosteal space and then dissected over the supraorbital ridge into the orbit.