Head injuries with temporal lobe compression

The present study is based on the evolution of 219 cases of temporal compressive craniocerebral trauma admitted to the neurotraumatology department between 1985 and 1990. Correlations are made between the accident-operation time interval and the results obtained. Special emphasis is laid on the paraclinical methods used to make an accurate and complete diagnosis, of which computerized tomography is the most reliable for head injuries. The most frequent compressive lesions found in this series were the indirect cerebral lacerations. Their approach was done by a trephine opening aimed at the anterior 1/3 of the temporal lobe, in its basal part. The prognosis depends on the state of consciousness (patients in deep coma had small chances for survival) and on the time interval between accident and surgery, a rapid and adequately equipped transport of the patient being also of utmost importance.