title: Posterior fossa extradural haematoma--experience of nineteen cases.
abstract: Twenty-four cases of posterior fossa extradural haematoma constituted 4.16% of all extradural haematomas (576) and 1.12% of all craniocerebral trauma requiring surgery (2150). Five cases were excluded from this study. Of the remaining nineteen cases (the study group), lucid interval was present in eight (42.10%) cases. In half of the cases, the clinical course was acute. Neck stiffness and drowsiness were the commonest clinical signs. Occipital bone fracture was present in 57.89% cases. CT scan was the most valuable investigation in the diagnosis and detection of the associated intracranial injury in 18 cases. Associated intracranial injury was present in seven (36.84%) of these cases. Two (11.1%) of these patients died despite emergency surgery. The Glasgow Coma Scale prior to operation and the presence of associated supratentorial injuries were important prognostic factors. It is concluded that posterior fossa extradural haematoma should be suspected in the presence of a fall on the back of the head, drowsiness, neck stiffness or an occipital bone fracture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Khosla
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Tewari
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Mathuriya
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Kak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003388:Cranial Fossa, Posterior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006407:Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed