A 55-year-old man is admitted to the emergency department after slipping on wet pavement and falling. Physical examination reveals that the patient has a hematoma that formed in the danger zone of the scalp, spreading to the area of the eyelids. Which of the following layers is regarded as the "danger zone"?
The loose areolar connective tissue layer is known as the "danger zone" because hematoma can spread easily from this layer into the skull by means of emissary veins that pass into and through the bones of the skull. None of the other scalp layers listed is referred to as the "danger zone."
Loose, areolar layer
Skin
Galea aponeurotica
Pericranium
Head & Neck