title: Acute bilateral mass-occupying lesions in non-penetrating traumatic brain injury: a retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traumatic acute bilateral mass-occupying lesions (TABML) is a common entity in head injury, with high morbidity and mortality. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the benefits of different treatment options and the outcome predictors in patients with TABML.
  
  
  METHODS
  From October 2010 to November 2012, a consecutive cohort of patients aged 16-70 years with TABML were retrospectively analyzed based on the clinical and radiological characteristics. Patients with TABML were included if admitted within 24 h after injury and were excluded if they presented with infratentorial lesions, unilateral lesions within the first 24 h after injury, or penetrating head injury. According to their treatment option, patients were divided into three groups: a conservative treatment group, a unilateral surgery group, and a bilateral surgery group. Outcomes were assessed using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the outcome predictors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-seven patients (58.8%) had severe injuries (Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS), 3-8) upon admission, and the overall mortality was 31.3% at 6 months post-injury. The mortality was 55.6% in patients who underwent conservative treatment (N = 18), 17.9% in unilateral surgery patients (N = 39), and 34.8% in the bilateral surgery group (N = 23). In the surgical group, the mortality was 53.3% (8 of 15) in those with a GCS of 3-5, which decreased steeply to 14.9% (7 of 47) of those with GCS ≥ 6. On logistic regression analysis, the absence of pupillary reactivity, disappearances of basal cisterns and conservative treatment were related to higher mortality. A lower initial GCS score was associated with an unfavorable outcome. Midline shift tended to be associated with mortality and an unfavorable outcome, although statistical analysis did not show a significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TABML is suggestive of severe brain injury. As conservative treatment is always associated with a poorer outcome, surgery is advocated, especially in patients with a GCS score of ≥ 6. Whereas the prognostic value of midline shift might be limited because of the counter-mass effect in TABML, the GCS score, the pupillary reactivity, and particularly, the compression of basal cisterns should be emphasized.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yanqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Siqing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Kaili
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No 37, Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. yangchaohua999@126.com.
authors.forename: Chaohua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000601:surgery*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult