Introduction: A depressed skull fracture is an inward buckling of the skull bones. It is referred to as a ping-pong ball fracture in neonates; in older children, some fractures take a cup shape mimicking ‘ping-pong’ ball fractures. Objective and Methods: The aim of this study was to assess the use of an obstetric vacuum extractor to elevate cup-shaped depressed skull fractures in children irrespective of age. All children admitted into the Central Hospital of Yaounde between 1999 and 2004 with a cup-shaped simple depressed skull fracture and treated with the vacuum extractor were included. Results: Nine children aged from 3 months to 17 years were treated with the vacuum extractor. The cosmetic and radiographic results were satisfactory. The procedure was simple and without any complication. Conclusion: The elevation of ‘ping-pong-ball-like’ or ‘cup-shaped’ skull fractures in older children (beyond the neonatal period) is a simple, effective and safe procedure.

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, all patients' files operated in the surgical unit of the Central Hospital of Yaounde and who underwent an US exploration in the postoperative period through the acquired bone defect or a fracture of the skull were reviewed consecutively. US was performed in all patients operated for posterior fossa tumour to rule out hydrocephalus and in other patients when clinical worsening was observed. US findings were compared with CT scan results and peroperative findings. The US apparatus used was a Siemens Sonograph. Three types of probe were available: (1) a 7-cm diameter convex-shaped probe and frequency 3.5-6 MHz (for near-field lesions), (2) a 2.5-cm diameter probe and frequency 7-12 MHz (for far-field lesions), and (3) a 5-cm diameter probe and frequency 7-12 MHz (for far-field lesions).