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What Causes A Soft Depression In The Anatomical Area Of Occipital Fontanel?
Question: I have noticed a soft depression in the anatomical area of my occipital fontanel....it measures a few centimeters and is not painful. I'm 65 and have spent a lifetime of playing rugby (30 years) with multiple cranial contusions. Is it possible for this suture to open in adulthood due to multiple cranial collisions? I have had three retinal detachments probably due to contact injuries.
Brief Answer:
Not suture opening
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Most people do not have a perfectly smooth skull surface and some dents and ridges can be occasionally noticed. So if you are unsure whether that dent was present before you should consider the possibility of always having had it.
Otherwise if you are sure not to have had it before one explanation may be thinning of the subcutaneous fat tissue due to past trauma. In theory another possibility would be that trauma can lead to depressed skull fractures with a skull indentation, but usually those are associated with severe trauma with damage to the brain and would have other signs at the time due to brain hemorrhage, so I do not think it to be likely.
As for your fear of the sutures to open that is not founded. There are rare cases where the sutures do not close completely growing up, but not reversing. If closed they do not reopen, not even after any trauma, if a severe trauma it causes fracture but not opening of the closed bony sutures, rest assured about that.
If you have the impression it is changing you should check it for skin manifestations, at times CT imaging might be indicated. But if it is stable and doesn't cause any symptoms I would leave it as it is.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Not suture opening
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Most people do not have a perfectly smooth skull surface and some dents and ridges can be occasionally noticed. So if you are unsure whether that dent was present before you should consider the possibility of always having had it.
Otherwise if you are sure not to have had it before one explanation may be thinning of the subcutaneous fat tissue due to past trauma. In theory another possibility would be that trauma can lead to depressed skull fractures with a skull indentation, but usually those are associated with severe trauma with damage to the brain and would have other signs at the time due to brain hemorrhage, so I do not think it to be likely.
As for your fear of the sutures to open that is not founded. There are rare cases where the sutures do not close completely growing up, but not reversing. If closed they do not reopen, not even after any trauma, if a severe trauma it causes fracture but not opening of the closed bony sutures, rest assured about that.
If you have the impression it is changing you should check it for skin manifestations, at times CT imaging might be indicated. But if it is stable and doesn't cause any symptoms I would leave it as it is.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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