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Statistical analysis of the factors affecting the outcome of extradural haematomas: 115 cases.

115 traumatic extradural haematoma cases who were treated surgically at Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty Neurosurgery Department between 1987 and 1992 are evaluated. When factors affecting the outcome were examined, a strong correlation was found between the result and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) (p < 0.00001). The existence of a fracture, the interval between onset of haematoma symptoms and intervention and the existence of an intracerebral haematoma together with contusion accompanying intradural haematoma, affect the outcome in a negative direction. There was no statistical correlation between the outcome and the age of patient, localization of the haematoma and aetiology.

Adolescent↗

Prognosis in traumatic intraventricular haemorrhage.

Traumatic intraventricular haemorrhage (TVH) is rare. The clinical profile and prognosis in 16 patients with traumatic intraventricular haemorrhage after blunt head injury are evaluated. Majority of the patients (94%) had low Glasgow coma score (less than 8) on admission and none had a lucid interval. CT showed haematoma adjacent to the foramen of Monroe in 5 patients and localised to the frontal horn or the body of the lateral ventricle in six. The mortality was 62.5% in this subgroup of patients with head injury. Our findings are compared to those of previous reports in the literature. The poor prognosis of cases with TVH reflects the severity of trauma and general brain damage and is probably not related only to the intraventricular bleeding.

Adolescent↗

Extradural haematoma of the posterior fossa: a report of eight cases and a review of the literature.

The authors review the literature and present 8 cases of extradural haematoma of the posterior fossa operated from 1979 to 1985 at the Neurosurgical Clinic of the University of Pavia. Emphasis is placed on the importance of an early diagnosis of the symptoms which are often ignored due to the absence of specific clinical signs. The authors recognize a substantial improvement in results because of the recent introduction of CT scanning facilities which permit an early and precise diagnosis of this traumatic pathology.

Adolescent↗

Clinical application of event related potentials in patients with brain tumours and traumatic head injuries.

Event related potential recording and psychometric evaluation of cognitive impairment were carried out on 21 patients with brain tumours, 21 patients with severe head injuries and 24 controls. The tumour and trauma patients who met the psychometric inclusion criteria for dementia, but not the non-demented patients, had significantly longer N2 and P3 latencies than the controls. In assessing individual patients P3 latency correctly differentiated between demented and non-demented patients in 81% of cases (for N2 latency 77%). Particularly P3 latency may provide a practical and objective measure of mental impairment in neurosurgical disorders producing dementia. Marked asymmetry in N2 and P3 amplitudes between hemispheres was observed in a number of cases. No significant relationship was found between diminution of N2 and P3 components and side of lesion.

Adult↗

Ultrastructural study of brain microvessels in patients with traumatic cerebral contusions.

Brain tissue from 11 patients with traumatic cerebral contusions submitted to surgery was studied. Control biopsy specimens were obtained from 5 patients undergoing ventriculo-peritoneal shunts for "communicating" hydrocephalus. After collection, the small fragments were fixed by immersion in glutaraldehyde-osmium and embedded in Epon. Semi-thin sections stained with toluidine blue were observed with the light microscope. Thin sections stained with lead citrate and uranyl acetate were observed using a Jeol electron microscope. In tissues from patients with head trauma a clear space most probably corresponding to fluid accumulation was systematically observed around microvessels. Ultrastructurally endothelial cells from these specimens exhibited signs of marked intracellular oedema, tight junctions being intact. Pinocytotic activity was increased, mainly at the abluminal surface. Swelling of astrocytic perivascular processes and the appearance of macrophagic cells with voluminous lysosomes were also observed. The authors conclude that the oedema of endothelial cells probably represent a central fact in the pathophysiology of traumatic brain oedema and speculate on the putative involvement of stretch-activated receptors in this condition.

Adult↗

Neuropsychological function in patients with increased serum levels of protein S-100 after minor head injury.

Protein S-100 is a calcium binding protein, synthetized in astroglial cells in all parts of the central nervous system (CNS). We have previously reported high serum levels of protein S-100 in patients after minor head injury (MHI). A battery of conventional and computerized neuropsychological measures was administered to two groups of MHI patients. Neuropsychological outcome at 12 months postinjury was examined in a group of 7 patients with increased serum levels of protein S-100 after MHI and 7 age- and sex-matched controls without detectable S-100 in serum after MHI. Our results demonstrate no overall cognitive dysfunction in either of the two groups. Our findings indicate specific dysfunction on measures of reaction time, attention and speed of information processing for the S-100 group. Posttraumatic depression does not explain the neuropsychological differences between the groups. These findings support that increased serum levels of protein S-100 may be of predictive and prognostic value for longlasting neurocognitive abnormalities after minor head injury. Presence of S-100 in serum may indicate the presence of diffuse brain damage. Our results suggest that information processing measures in computerized neuropsychological assessment are more sensitive for detecting small signs of neurocognitive abnormalities after MHI than conventional test batteries.

Adolescent↗

Case report: concordant traumatic brainstem contusion delayed diagnosis in a young man with Wilson's disease.

Wilson's disease is a hereditary autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism. The corresponding gene locus has been localized on the long arm of chromosome 13. Three different clinical variants of the disease can be distinguished: hepato-cerebral, abdominal/hepatic, and central nervous type. The heterogeneity of symptoms can cause problems in differential diagnosis, especially when another concordant disorder can also explain the pathogenesis of symptoms. The case report of a young man who suffered from brainstem contusion demonstrates the possibilities of misinterpretation because presenting symptoms could be attributed either to traumatic brain injury followed by adjustment disorder or Wilson's disease. Clinical signs included leftsided hemiparesis, bilateral gaze direction nystagmus, marked dysarthria with consecutive pervasive mutism, choreo-athetoid movements, spasmodic torticollis and diplopia dependent on gaze direction. Slit lamp examination showed Kayser-Fleischer's corneal ring. EEG- and computer assisted tomography investigations revealed non-specific findings. The patient was treated with D-Penicillamine. Alternative treatment with oral zinc preparations is discussed.

Adolescent↗

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials in postconcussion syndrome.

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) were recorded from 55 patients with postconcussion syndrome (PCS) to elicit evidence of an organic and subclinical brainstem disorder. Fifteen patients (27.3%) showed abnormal responses unilaterally or bilaterally, especially for one or more interpeak latencies prolonged beyond the upper 99% confidence limits. Other 9 patients had borderline responses. The BAEP alterations were not correlated either with dizziness at the time of recording, or with vestibular troubles in the routine caloric test. Though BAEP abnormalities may be present a long time after injury, we found an improvement of responses in the majority of 14 re-tested patients. These data show that BAEP can give an objective demonstration of a reversible brainstem disorder in patients with PCS.

Adolescent↗

[Myocardial lesions in acute increase of the intracranial pressure (author's transl)].

Myocardial lesions occuring in diseases with acute increase of intracranial pressure were investigated. Morphologic alterations in heart muscle in spite of different lengh of surviving and various causes of the death were of similar type. In every case subendocardial haemorrhage could be observed on the septal surface and on the papillary muscle of the left ventricle. Focal intracellular edema, myocytolysis were revealed in 76%, focal necrosis of hypercontractic type developed in 52% of the cases. Cellular infiltration occurred around the alternations observed in 3 cases. It is concluded, that damage to the heart muscle is not caused directly by the increased intracranial pressure or catecholamine mobilisation, but seems to be the consequence of the acute myocardial hypoxia.

Adolescent↗

Traumatic intracerebral lesions without extracerebral haematoma in 218 patients.

218 of the 852 patients in the HIT-2 study of head injury had intracerebral lesions only. They were analysed to get more information on the optimal treatment of these severely injured patients. The initial CT scans were reviewed to exclude patients with extracerebral lesions, and to make a radiological diagnosis of contusion, contusion under a depressed fracture, diffuse axonal injury, or intracerebral haematoma. Deterioration after admission to hospital was seen in 71% of patients. Patients with contusions, and contusions from depressed fractures in particular showed a worse outcome than expected, while patients with diffuse injury had a tendency to improve rather than to deteriorate. Patients with intracerebral haematoma seemed to improve if the mass was evacuated. Nimodipine had an impact only in patients with contusions. Our findings mandate surgical evacuation of contusions and intracerebral haematomas in patients with lesions larger than 20 ml who also have radiological signs of a mass effect. Regardless of an apparently good clinical state in the early phase, intracerebral lesions larger than 50 ml seemed to benefit from surgery as compared to nonsurgical treatment. The findings indicated that a further refinement of diagnostic criteria may enable individually tailored head injury treatment to interfere with most important pathogenic mechanisms. More accurate diagnoses will improve head injury treatment and outcome, and are a prerequisite for making successful pharmaceutical trials of head injury in the future.

Adult↗

Acute traumatic posterior fossa subdural haematomas.

Acute Posterior Fossa Subdural Haematoma (PFSDH) caused by trauma is a clinical rarity: only 13 cases have been encountered in the literature. Three consecutive personal cases of PFSDH are presented. Two of them are respectively the sixth and the seventh surgically treated cases with success. Among the 16 cases 60% had a sudden clinical worsening within 24 hours. Seven cases had an occipital fracture. Of the thirteen cases operated upon 11 (85%) were in a state of deep coma. The surgical mortality was 46%. One patient had a good recovery (Grade 5) and six a moderate disability (Grade 4) on the Glasgow Outcome Scale. We conclude that surgical treatment must always be carried out even in patients presenting in an agonal state.

Adolescent↗

[Computed tomography in craniocerebral injuries in childhood].

In accident diagnosis, the computed tomogram (CT) is nowadays decisive for the determination of craniocerebral traumas. This is true for children as well as for adult patients. Besides the rapid handling and the non-invasiveness, the exact diagnosis with direct imaging of the traumatic cranial lesions is a special advantage of computed tomography. The authors present the characteristic CT modifications of the epidural hematoma, the subdural hematoma and traumatic subdural hygroma, the brain contusion, traumatic subarachnoidal hemorrhage and ventricular hemorrhage. Furthermore the injuries to the osseous skull which can be represented by CT and the late consequences of the accident are mentioned. The special aspects of craniocerebral traumas in children are taken into consideration.

Adolescent↗

[Craniocerebral trauma in acute surgical management. Primary care in a general community hospital].

Head traumas frequently occur in polytrauma patients but are also found as isolated injuries. In our hospital trauma center without a neurosurgical department, in a 21-month period, 489 patients with head/brain trauma were treated. This represents 6.5% of all patients treated in the trauma and reconstructive surgery clinic. In commotio cerebri (CC = 89.5% of the patients) constant conservative management and an uneventful course were observed; in 69 patients with contusio cerebri, 18 craniotomy operations had to be performed. In contrast, in only two cases was reoperation because of recurrent hematoma necessary. In four cases with complex and/or additional injuries, transfer to a neurosurgical center took place, and in two cases photophone consultation with that center was used. The mortality was 14.5%. The diagnostic and therapeutic regimens for the different types of injury and the requirements for the management of head/brain trauma in trauma centers without neurosurgical departments are presented: emergency service and medical staff, emergency room management, intensive care management, qualified neurological examination, X-ray imaging, including CT scan, OP-room equipment and trained surgeons. If these requirements are not available in a given hospital, early transfer of all patients for whom surgical management could be necessary to a neurosurgical department should be attempted. Only in patients with severe bleeding must immediate craniotomy be performed even in hospitals which do not have all the above mentioned facilities. In patients with intracerebral bleeding, bleeding in the dorsal fossa, injury of brain nerves, carotid artery or sinus cavernosus injuries, frontobasal injuries with liquor fistula or pneumonencephalon, transfer of the patients to specialized neurosurgical centers is indicated. With this selection, we obtained the same results in a trauma center without a neurosurgical department as reported in the literature. This avoids overloading neurosurgical centers with head/brain injury patients.

Brain Concussion↗

[Emergency room patients].

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to examine the predictive value of CT for severe intracranial lesions of mild (GCS 15-13) and moderate (12-9) head injuries. Further,we examined the possibility of predicting these lesions by various variables/factors. Data were collected prospectively from the trauma registry of the DGU (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Unfallchirurgie). Patients with a GCS score from 15-13 and from 12-9 were included in this study and examined for intracranial lesions (AIS(head) 3-6). Over a time period from 1993 to 1999, 1778 patients with mild head injury and 235 patients with moderate head injury were analyzed. Severe intracranial lesions were suffered by 18.6% of the patients with mild head injury and 50.4% of the patients with moderate head injuries. Of the predictive variables, heart rate,patients' age,and primary assessment by the emergency physician showed a strong correlation with the later observed intracranial lesions. IN CONCLUSION: (1) independently of the initially good GCS, a high percentage of patients suffered from severe intracranial lesions and (2) besides the GCS only the patients'age and primary assessment by the emergency physician were useful for identifying patients at risk for an intracranial lesion.

Adolescent↗

[Acute craniocerebral trauma in childhood--early use of MRI].

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the present diagnostic potential of MRI in early stage head trauma und possibly to replace CT studies in children. FLAIR-techniques consequently applied as "scout sequences" provided reliable identification of traumatic intra- and extracranial lesions yet during the first measurement in all 24 cases. Follow-up scan confirmed the initial results. The reliability of MRI in acute pediatric head trauma is underlined by the fact that CT scans were no longer necessary within in the last three years. Therefore the imaging algorithm of acute head trauma in children has changed in our institution: medium and high risk patients undergo MRI, in young infants we do US first. HR-CT is reserved for lesions of the visceral cranium. X rays are out.

Adolescent↗