Hydrocephalus is a determinant of early mortality in putaminal hemorrhage.
OBJECTIVE
Previous studies have shown that the volume of intracerebral hemorrhage and Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) on admission are powerful predictors of 30-day mortality. However, the significance of hydrocephalus associated with deep cerebral hemorrhage has not been studied extensively. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic indicators of 30-day mortality in patients with deep cerebral hemorrhage.


METHODS
We studied 100 consecutive patients with deep cerebral hemorrhage between 1994 and 1998. Deep cerebral hemorrhage was divided into 2 groups: putaminal hemorrhage (lateral group) and thalamic and caudate hemorrhage (medial group). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine independent prognostic indicators of 30-day mortality.


RESULTS
Hydrocephalus was present in 40 of the 100 patients. The 30-day mortality was 29%, and hydrocephalus was present in 76% of those who died. Multivariate analyses showed 2 independent prognostic indicators of 30-day mortality for putaminal hemorrhage: GCS </=8 (P:=0.002, odds ratio [OR] 37.7, CI 3.6 to 396.9) and hydrocephalus (P:=0.005, OR 27.4, CI 2.7 to 282.6). However, only GCS </=8 (P:=0.0002, OR 16.5, CI 3.7 to 73.4) was predictive of 30-day mortality for thalamic and caudate hemorrhage. This model (GCS </=8 and hydrocephalus) has a sensitivity of 57% and a specificity of 91% for predicting 30-day mortality for putaminal hemorrhage. When both attributes were present in putaminal hemorrhage (GCS </=8 and hydrocephalus), 1 (11%) of 9 patients survived, and when both attributes were missing 28 (100%) of 28 patients survived.


CONCLUSIONS
Obstructive hydrocephalus on admission in a comatose patient with a putaminal hemorrhage predicts 30-day mortality.
Phan
T G
TG
Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Koh
M
M
Vierkant
R A
RA
Wijdicks
E F
EF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D020146:Putaminal Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014696:Ventriculostomy