Copper beaten skull is a phenomenon wherein intense

intracranial pressure Intracranial pressure (ICP) is the pressure exerted by fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inside the skull and on the brain tissue. ICP is measured in millimeters of mercury ( mmHg) and at rest, is normally 7–15 mmHg for a supine adu ...

disfigures the internal surface of the

skull The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...

. The name comes from the fact that the inner skull has the appearance of having been beaten with a

ball-peen hammer A ball-peen or machinist's hammer, is a type of peening hammer used in metalworking. It has two heads, one flat and the other, called the peen, rounded. It is distinguished from a cross-peen hammer, diagonal-peen hammer, point-peen hammer, or c ...

, such as is often used by coppersmiths. The condition is most common in children with hydrocephalus and is due to abnormal collagen development and ossification.

References

{{neuroanatomy-stub Skull