# Extradural Hematoma Following Low-Order Domestic Blast Injury From a Pressure Cooker: A Case Report and Literature Review

## TL;DR

A pressure cooker explosion caused a rare brain injury, showing how even low-force domestic blasts can lead to serious head trauma.

## Contribution

This case report highlights extradural hematoma from a pressure cooker blast, emphasizing the risk of secondary projectiles in low-order domestic explosions.

## Key findings

- A 56-year-old woman developed a large extradural hematoma after a pressure cooker explosion.
- CT imaging revealed a minimally displaced skull fracture and significant midline shift.
- Emergency surgery successfully treated the hematoma with full recovery.

## Abstract

Low-order domestic blast injuries generally result in localized soft-tissue trauma, but intracranial hemorrhage is exceptional. Pressure cooker explosions can generate high-velocity secondary projectiles capable of causing significant blunt head injury. We report a rare case of a large occipitoparietal extradural hematoma (EDH) following a domestic pressure cooker explosion. A 56-year-old woman presented with persistent headache and vomiting after being struck by the cooker lid. Her primary survey was stable with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 14. Cranial computed tomography (CT) showed a minimally displaced left parietal fracture with a 6.5 × 2.7 cm occipitoparietal EDH, an associated midline shift of 5.8 mm, intralesional air foci, and adjacent contusions. The patient underwent emergency craniotomy with successful evacuation of the hematoma and made an uneventful recovery. This case illustrates that low-order domestic blast injuries can still produce life-threatening intracranial damage due to secondary projectiles, highlighting the critical role of early CT imaging and timely neurosurgical intervention.