Importance of Early Cranioplasty in Reversing the “Syndrome of the Trephine/Motor Trephine Syndrome/Sinking Skin Flap Syndrome”

Introduction: The “Motor Trephine Syndrome (MTS)” also known as the “Sunken brain and Scalp Flap Syndrome” or the “Sinking Skin Flap Syndrome (SSFS)” or the “Syndrome of the trephined” is an unusual syndrome in which neurological deterioration occurs following removal of a large skull bone flap. This syndrome is associated with sensorimotor deficit and neurological deterioration following decompressive craniectomy which is performed for various neurosurgical conditions involving cerebral swelling causing mass effect. The neurological deterioration can be exacerbated or precipitated by CSF diversion procedures like a Ventriculo-Peritoneal shunt. Objective: It was the objective of this study to observe if any improvement in the patient’s condition, or if any beneficial effects in his sensorimotor deficit could be gained by performing an early cranioplasty as against after the usual delay of one to two years normally allowed for post-craniectomy cases. Methods: A 52 year old male suffered severe head injury in a road traffic accident and underwent a craniectomy and contusectomy of the left Fronto-Temporo-Parietal (FTP) region for treatment of Acute Subdural hematoma (SDH) as well as hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic contusions of the brain with severe mass effect. On recovery from this acute event he was bed bound, on tracheostomy, his GCS was E4VTrM4 with residual right sided hemiparesis. Three months later, he developed Hydrocephalus for which a Right Ventriculo-Peritoneal (V-P) shunt was performed. Following this procedure, severe depression of the skin/scalp flap occurred and the neurological recovery was not as expected. He was diagnosed as a case of “Syndrome of the trephined”. An immediate Cranioplasty was performed, on the third month following the craniectomy procedure, in an attempt to resolve the rapidly deteriorating neurological status of the patient. Results: In the case presented, following the early Cranioplasty which was performed within three months of the initial craniectomy, the patient’s neurological condition and cognitive functions showed a remarkable, immediate and dramatic improvement. The early Cranioplastic repair led to a remarkable clinical recovery of the patient, with improvement in the cognitive behavior and motor deficit with a rapid reversal of the sensorimotor paresis, reflecting an improvement in brain perfusion. Conclusion: Patients with the classical “Motor trephine syndrome/ Sinking skin flap syndrome” following large craniectomy defects, may hugely benefit from an early cranioplasty procedure, with a reversal of features of this syndrome and early recovery of their neurological and cognitive functions. Hence, an early cranioplasty can serve as a therapeutic procedure, rather than merely a cosmetic one. © 2014, The Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India.