title: [Clinical analysis of acute encephalocele during operation in 21 patients with severe craniocerebral injury].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the clinical features of acute intra-operative encephalocele and the proper prophylactic-therapeutic measures for severe craniocerebral injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data were collected and analyzed for 21 patients with severe head injuries who suffered acute intra-operative encephalocele from June 2008 to May 2010. There were 12 males and 9 females with an age range of 18 - 69 years old.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among these patients, 6 died with a mortality rate of 28.5%. It was lower than that reported in literatures. One patient died post-operatively of severe brain swelling and intracranial infection secondary to leakage of cerebrospinal fluid. Four patients died of severe craniocerebral injury, brain swelling and brain stem failure. And 1 patient died after his guardian abandoned the treatment. The follow-up period for the remaining 15 surviving patients was 3 - 6 months. According to the Glasgow outcome score (GOS), there were a favorable prognosis (n = 9), moderate disabilities (n = 5) and severe disability (n = 1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The probability of acute intra-operative encephalocele may be predicted in advance with a combination of clinical features and computed tomographic scans. The therapeutic success rate of acute encephalocele will be boosted by taking protective and therapeutic measures pre- and intra-operatively.
authors: Neurosurgery Department of Zaozhuang City Hospital, Shandong 277100, China.
authors: Qiang
authors: Q
authors: Zhuang
authors: Chun-cheng
authors: CC
authors: Qu
authors: Wen-zhi
authors: WZ
authors: Liang
authors: Hao
authors: H
authors: Qin
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Yu