An Overview of the Effects of Temporal Bone Trauma

Gul Moonis, MD, is a radiologist at Columbia University Medical Center. Over the course of her career in medicine, Dr. Gul Moonis has developed expertise in a range of areas, from head and neck cancer imaging to temporal bone trauma imaging.

The temporal bones are paired structures found at the base of the skull. Blunt force injuries to the head, such as those sustained during car accidents, can lead to temporal bone trauma, which can damage the brain, internal ear, and facial nerves, as well as other parts of the head and neck. Without timely surgical intervention, complications relating to temporal bone trauma range from intracranial hemorrhaging to hearing loss, to name only a few potential issues.

Intervention begins with diagnosis, which involves physical evaluation and radiographic imaging of the impacted area. After medical professionals have assessed the damage, the appropriate surgical and medical interventions must be immediately applied, particularly in situations involving herniation of the brain or damage to the intratemporal carotid artery. Individuals experiencing a decline in facial nerve functionality may also require early surgical intervention.