title: Surgical treatment of 137 cases with chronic subdural hematoma at the university clinical center of Kosovo during the period 2008-2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is frequent pathology in neurosurgical practice. The aim of this study is to present the first series of patients with CSDH, who got surgically treated in Clinic of Neurosurgery, University Clinical Center of Kosovo.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study that included 137 patients with CSDH who had been treated during the period 2008-2012. The data were collected and analyzed from the archives and protocols of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. Patients were analyzed in many aspects such as age, gender, etiological factors, clinical features, localization, diagnoses, methods of surgical interventions, recurrences and mortality of patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 137 patients with CSDH, 106 (77.3%) were males and 31 (22.7%) females. Average age of patients was 62.85 years. Analyzed according to the decades, the highest number of causes with CSDH was between 70 and 79 years (46%). The head trauma has been responsible for CSDH in 88 patients (64.3%), while the main symptom was headache (92 patients or 67.1%). One burr-hole trepanation with closed drainage system has been used in majority of cases (in 101 patients or 73.7%). The recurrence of CSDH was 6.5%, whereas mortality 2.9%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CSDH is more common in elderly patients. The male-female ratio is 3.4:1. Like other authors we also think that treatment with one burr-hole and drainage is a method of choice, because of its simplicity and safety.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Univesity Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Agon Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Mekaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Univesity Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Arsim A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Morina
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Prishtina, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Ymer H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Mekaj
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Prishtina, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Suzana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manxhuka-Kerliu
authors.affiliation: The Hospital and University Clinical Service of Kosovo, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Ermira I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Miftari
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Univesity Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Shkelzen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Duci
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Univesity Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Astrit R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hamza
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Univesity Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Musli M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gashi
authors.affiliation: The Hospital and University Clinical Service of Kosovo, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Mentor R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Xhelaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Univesity Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Fatos M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Kelmendi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Univesity Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Qamile Sh
authors.initials: QSh
authors.lastname: Morina
keywords: Burr-hole trepanation; chronic subdural hematoma; hematoma recurrence; subdural drainage