Development of chronic hydrocephalus and early cranial CT findings in spontaneous intracerebral/intraventricular hemorrhage.
BACKGROUND
Since intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is frequently associated with intraventricular bleeding (IVH), we sought to detect cranial computed tomography features that would indicate early on in the patient's history the development of chronic hydrocephalus with a permanent need for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion.


METHODS
A total of 25 consecutive cases presenting with ICH/IVH was studied retrospectively. Outcome was assessed using the Glasgow Outcome Scale at an average of 8 months subsequently. Diagnosis of ICH/IVH and (acute) hydrocephalus was made by early cranial CT scanning employing a selection of radiological criteria according to the literature including the Evans ratio. All patients then received external ventricular drainage. Chronic hydrocephalus was diagnosed by intraventricular pressure monitoring or by cranial CT follow-up after removal of the external drainage.


RESULTS
None of the radiological criteria nor the scores obtained differed between the two groups. However, the ratio of scores for IVH/ICH was higher among the patients who developed a chronic hydrocephalus. All other parameters including volume of ICH and IVH were equally distributed. Overall outcome was poor with a median GOS score of 3.


CONCLUSIONS
The ICH/IVH ratio presented here can be interpreted as an individual measure of propensity to impairment of CSF circulation. Further studies on larger populations will be needed to show whether this can be employed as an early diagnostic criterion with respect to chronic hydrocephalus.
Gross
W P
WP
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cologne, Germany.
Hesselmann
V
V
Wedekind
C
C
D000368:Aged; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed