[Relationship between CT findings and consciousness in patients with hypertensive putamen hemorrhage].
The authors studied 66 patients with hypertensive putamen hemorrhage and noted a close relationship between the CT classification according to the shape of the suprasellar cistern (S) and the third ventricle (III), and the state of altered consciousness: when S is not deformed and III is identified in CT images, the patient may be in a clear or confusional state; if S is not deformed but III is not identified or is packed with hematoma, consciousness may be somnolent or stuporous; if S is deformed and III is not identified or is packed with hematoma, the patient may be in a semicomatose or comatose state. However, within several hours after onset there are exceptional cases in which the states of consciousness do not correlate with the CT findings. In these cases, however, with conservative therapy the state of consciousness corresponded well with the CT findings. From the neurosurgical points of view, immediate removal of the hematoma is required when the patient's consciousness is relatively good despite of large hematoma. If at the acute stage the state of consciousness, which corresponded well with the CT findings at initial examination, has deteriorated, rebleeding or enlargement of hematoma must be suspected.
D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014695:Cerebral Ventriculography; D003243:Consciousness; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D011699:Putamen; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed