What Could Be The Dent And Pain At The Back Of Skull?

Posted on Sat, 7 Dec 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 7 Dec 2013 Answered on

Sun, 29 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I am 65 years old I have recently noticed a dent in the back if my skull left side, I occasionaly get sharp pain in the area and have to quickly hold it and it goes away, it lasts seconds only then perhaps just aches a bit.Sometimes a can go a few weeks without the pain and other times it can happen once or twice a day

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (15 hours later)

Brief Answer: Please find detailed answer below Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXX, Thanks for writing in to us. I have read through your query in detail. A dent in the skull at this age needs to be evaluated by clinical examination and a CT scan of head if necessary. While clinically, by palpating it will be known if there is really a dent or if there is a swelling in the scalp, a CT scan will tell us about the exact probable nature of the problem and if it is a bony lesion or the development of any soft tissue or cyst in the scalp. The sharp pain as mentioned by you might point towards a condition known as trigemminal neuralgia. In this condition, there is a sharp pain often limited to one side of the head and face lasting from seconds to minutes occurring intermittently. A consultation with a neurologist is necessary to discuss both the above problems. There are medications for your condition but you must be evaluated clinically before taking them. Hope your query is answered. Do write back if you have any doubts. Regards, Dr.Vivek

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar