Can The Bump On My Skull Be Reduced?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I was wondering if it were possible for a bump caused by hitting the very top of my head when younger could be removed. It creates a rounded point at the peak of my skull. I know it was caused by the impact and always thought it would just reduce on its own, but never did. I believe it hardened when the bone healed from the injury. It is something that I often think about and am trying to research to see if it could ever be realistically and safely renewed to its original shape.

A: You are correct in deducing that the bony bump that you have acquired is due to scalp trauma, particularly when it occurs at a young age. Any small amount of bleeding from perforating vessels from the bone causes an accumulation underneath the periosteum of the bone. The blood will cause the periosteum to turn it into bone, thus making the round bump that you have. That could be reduced by a simple skull reshaping procedure using a small incision to burr the bone down to the level of the surrounding bone.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana