Usefulness of spinal drainage for post-traumatic external hydrocephalus: report of two cases

An 8-year-old girl presented with symptoms of increased intracranial pressure on the 18th day after removal of an occipital epidural haematoma. A 69-year-old woman exhibited the same symptoms on the 6th day after the removal of a left frontal subdural haematoma. Computed tomography (CT) revealed that both patients were suffering from external hydrocephalus. Spinal drainage, maintained for 18 days in the former case and for 7 days in the latter, not only relieved those symptoms but also cured the external hydrocephalus. Recurrence of external hydrocephalus has not been observed in either case for several years since discontinuation of spinal drainage. Usefulness of spinal drainage for post-traumatic external hydrocephalus is discussed.