Occult pediatric skull fracture and implications for delay in diagnosis: illustrative case.

Background: After being struck in the left side of the head by a thin metal rod, a 10-year-old, previously healthy male presented to an urgent care clinic with a subcentimeter scalp laceration in the midline parietal area and a normal neurological exam. Evaluation included skull radiographs, which did not demonstrate a definitive fracture. Following laceration repair, the patient was discharged to home.