[Chronic subdural hematoma: a disease of elderly people].
BACKGROUND
The lack of specificity and heterogeneity of the clinical picture of chronic subdural hematoma, hampers its diagnosis.


OBJECTIVE
To report the experience of a Neurosurgical Service in chronic subdural hematoma.


METHODS
One hundred patients (77 male, mean age 77 +/- 13 years) with chronic subdural hematoma were analyzed.


RESULTS
The main clinical presentations were mental status changes (50%) and progressive focal neurological deficit (46%). Five cases presented as a transient neurological deficit. All patients were treated with burr hole drainage. Thirteen had recurrence of the hematoma and they were reoperated. The surgical mortality was 3%. Eighty seven patients were followed for a mean of 66 months. Eighty one of these had a complete recovery, 6 had permanent neurological deficit and 2 of these were unable to care for themselves. Bad prognosis was associated with the absence of a previous trauma to explain the hematoma and symptoms of dementia as the clinical presentation.


CONCLUSIONS
Most patients with chronic subdural hematoma treated with burr hole drainage have a good outcome.
Tagle
Patricio
P
Departamento de Neurocirugía y Departamento de Neurología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. ptagle@med.puc.cl
Mery
Francisco
F
Torrealba
Gonzalo
G
Del Villar
Sergio
S
Carmona
Hans
H
Campos
Manuel
M
Méndez
Jorge
J
Chicharro
Ada
A
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020200:Hematoma, Subdural, Chronic / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Hematoma subdural crónico: una enfermedad del adulto mayor.