Iatrogenic acute subdural hematoma due to drainage catheter.
BACKGROUND
Insertion of a catheter for drainage of a cavity is a routine step in many surgical practices. In neurosurgery, catheters are commonly placed in the subdural, subgaleal, or epidural spaces to prevent haematoma formation.


METHODS
We present three cases of iatrogenic acute subdural hematoma. These were all related to the drainage catheters. In the first case, a subgaleal redivac suction catheter was used after craniotomy for brain abscess. The other two patients had ordinary ventricular catheters placed in the subdural space after burr hole drainage of chronic subdural hematoma. The drainage catheter was removed on postoperative day 5 in the first case and two days after the initial operation in the other two cases. Shortly after the removal of the drains, the conditions of the patients deteriorated rapidly due to the development of acute subdural hematoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Although they are extremely uncommon, life-threatening complications related to a drainage catheter are a real possibility. Therefore, the procedure should not be taken lightly.
Department of Neurosurgery, Kwong Wah Hospital, Yaumatei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
K W
KW
Chan
N N
NN
Datta
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004322:Drainage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed