Long-Term Outcome of an Infant With Severe Head Burns Involving Skull and Brain Injury: A 37-Year Follow-Up

This case report details the 37-year follow-up of a patient who sustained severe thermal head burns at 4 months old, resulting in calvarial necrosis and occipital lobe injury. Initial treatment involved 8 surgeries for wound closure, leaving a significant 10×11 cm bone defect. During childhood, the patient developed a syndrome of the trephined symptoms that fluctuated with atmospheric pressure, including headaches, vomiting, and motor weakness. At the age of 17 years or younger, successful cranioplasty was performed using ribs and a free rectus abdominis flap, resolving most neurological symptoms. At the age of 37 years old, the patient is fully integrated into society and working as a caregiver, despite mild intellectual disability and sensitivity to rapid pressure changes.