Clinical, arteriographic, and cisternographic observations after removal of acute subdural hematoma.
The authors review 47 patients with closed-head injuries requiring treatment for acute subdural hematoma and report that 21 (45%) survived for 5 days or more. Follow-up study of these 21 survivors led to the following observations: that clinical evaluation of these patients is the most reliable index of their postoperative progress; that the diagnostic usefulness of postoperative cerebral arteriograms is limited because immediate postoperative changes tend to persist; that craniotomy is preferable to burr holes for removal of an acute hematoma; and that the value of cisternography, unless done serially, is limited since posttraumatic hydrocephalus develops rapidly and may persist indefinitely.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications; D003399:Craniotomy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging