title: Epidural haematoma: a study of 71 cases.
abstract: A study of 71 patients with epidural haematoma (EDH) who were managed surgically at the Neurosurgical Centre Nijmegen, Netherlands is presented. The male/female ratio was 5:2. 73.2% of all patients were under the age of 40 years. Traffic motor accidents and falls accounted for 84.5% as causes of head injury. 74.6% were either unconscious throughout or were initially conscious and subsequently unconscious. Only 53.7% were initially suspected to have EDH and investigated; while 46.3% developed signs suggestive of haematoma sometime after the initial assessment. The major clinical signs which influenced the initial management policy included lack of verbal response; pupillary dilatation and hemiparesis. Skull fractures were observed in 73.2% of which 9.8% had depressed fractures. The presence of a linear fracture did not influence the initial management policy.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mlay
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D006407:Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D009426:Netherlands