ARTICLE
14 May 2026
A Case of Congenital Cranial Vascular Foramen Misdiagnosed as a Fracture: A Forensic Clinical Analysis
Fuqiu Mo Xiuqiong Zhou Yongping Wei Huaqi Wang Ning Wang
Show Less
1 Guangxi Zhongbang Judicial Expertise Center, Nanning 530000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China,
2 Judicial Expertise Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China,
3 Liuzhou Zhengdian Judicial Appraisal Institute, Liuzhou 545000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China,
4 Guangxi Jingui Forensic Science Institute, Nanning 530000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China,
BAS 2026 , 4(2), 12–18; https://doi.org/10.26689/bas.v4i2.14743
© 2026 by the Authors. Licensee Whioce Publishing, Singapore. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Congenital cranial vascular foramina may mimic fractures on imaging, potentially leading to errors in forensic injury severity assessment. This article reports the case of a 42-year-old male who sustained a blunt force head trauma. Multiple computed tomography scans initially revealed a linear hypodense shadow in the left temporal bone, diagnosed as a skull fracture and subsequently assessed as Minor Injury Grade II. Upon forensic re-evaluation, a longitudinal comparison with pre-injury imaging was conducted. Detailed analysis utilizing three-dimensional reconstruction technology demonstrated that the radiological finding was present prior to the injury. Furthermore, post-injury follow-up scans showed no morphological change or callus formation, characteristics consistent with a congenital vascular foramen rather than an acute fracture. Consequently, the injury severity was revised to Slight Injury. This case underscores the critical importance in forensic clinical practice of obtaining detailed medical history, systematically reviewing pre-injury imaging, and employing advanced image post-processing techniques for differential diagnosis. Such an approach helps prevent misdiagnosis due to anatomical variants, ensuring the objectivity and accuracy of injury severity assessment and upholding judicial integrity.

References
Elnoamany H, Mansour A, Agour ML, et al., 2024, Surgical Outcome After Autologous Bone Chips Replacement in Depressed Skull Fractures: A Single Center Experience. Neurosurg Rev, 47(1): 898.
Derakhshanfar H, Pourbakhtyaran E, Rahimi S, et al., 2020, Clinical Guidelines for Traumatic Brain Injuries in Children and Boys. Eur J Transl Myol, (1): 8613.
Freitas CJ, Mathis JT, Scott N, et al., 2014, Dynamic Response Due to Behind Helmet Blunt Trauma Measured with a Human Head Surrogate. Int J Med Sci, 11(5): 409–425.
Basile G, Avato FM, Passeri A, et al., 2022, Atrophic Pseudarthrosis of Humeral Diaphyseal Fractures: Medico-Legal Implications and Methodological Analysis of the Evaluation. Acta Biomed, 93(3): e2022176.
Singh R, 2021, Carotico-Clinoid Foramen and Associated Clinical Significance: Comprehensive Review. Cureus, 13(1): e12828.
Higgins JNP, Borchert RJ, Rao S, et al., 2024, Cranial Venous Outflow Insufficiency; Rendered Almost Invisible to Radiological Imaging by Circular Reasoning. Rethinking Normal Craniocervical Venous Anatomy. J Clin Neurosci, 130: 110882.
Share
Back to top