Can My Skull Bump Be Reduced To Make My Skull Look Normal?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have a bump on the top of my skull which appeasrs to have developed by injuring it years ago as a child. It would be difficult for me to send a picture of my bump since my hair covers it so perhaps I can describe it better. I am self conscious of the way it looks with shorter hair and effects the way I can keep my hair. It is like I said at the very top of my head and creates somewhat of a point. It is pretty swelled out and has more of an oval shape. It is similar to a ridge. I would love to somehow get rid of the bump so I can move on with my life. Personally it has had a profoundly negative consequence on my pyche throughout my youth. I am 24 now and am still reminded of its presence everyday. I have learned to deal with it mentally but the honest truth is that its a challenge to pretend it isn’t there. Thanks for listening and hope to gain more feedback from you.

A: Reduction of a prominent bump on the skull is a fairly straightforward procedure done through burring reduction using a small scalop incision. It is always helpful to see a plain skull x-ray from the front and side to see its thickness and how it compares to the surrounding normal skull. That tells me how much of it can be reduced and whether a completely normal skull contour can be obtained with this minor form of skull reshaping.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana