Bifrontal decompressive craniotomy for malignant brain edema.
OBJECTIVE
To review the outcome of bifrontal decompressive craniotomy used for the treatment of malignant brain edema due to different etiologies.


METHODS
The study was carried out at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the period from January 2000 to June 2005, and included all patients who had malignant brain edema due to different etiology and were treated with bifrontal decompressive craniotomy after failure of aggressive medical treatment.


RESULTS
Ten patients were included in the study, 6 males and 4 females; the mean age was 24 years. Seven patients had severe head injury, 2 had aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, and one had large calcified olfactory groove meningioma. Clinically, all patients, except one, had Glasgow coma scores more than 3 before surgery, and operation was performed in all patients once clinical deterioration was observed and diagnosis confirmed by CT brain scan. The outcome of surgery was good in 70%, poor in 20%, and mortality was 10%. The mean hospital stay was 85 days.


CONCLUSIONS
Bifrontal decompressive craniotomy offers immediate reduction of intracranial pressure to its normal levels, and improves the outcome of malignant brain edema whatever its cause, it should be performed once clinical deterioration is observed.
Elwatidy
Sherif
S
Division of Neurosurgery, King Khalid University Hospital, College of Medicine, King Saud University, PO Box 7805, Riyadh 11472, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. smfwat@yahoo.com
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003399:Craniotomy; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008579:Meningioma / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications