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Chronic subdural haematomas are more common on the left than on the right

M R MacFarlane1, Y Weerakkody, Y Kathiravel

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, Christchurch Hospital, Private Bag 4710, Christchurch, New Zealand. martin.macfarlane@cdhb.govt.nz

Journal of Clinical Neuroscience : Official Journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
|March 10, 2009
PubMed

Insights

This study found chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs) are more common on the left side. This research analyzed 450 subdural hematomas (SDHs) in 413 patients, noting a left-sided prevalence in CSDHs.

Area of Science:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Neurology
  • Medical Research

Background:

  • Subdural hematomas (SDHs), particularly chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs), are frequent in neurosurgical practice.
  • While etiology, presentation, management, and prognosis are documented, laterality (side prevalence) of SDHs is less explored.
  • Existing literature lacks comprehensive data on the side distribution of acute, subacute, and chronic subdural hematomas.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the laterality of subdural hematomas (SDHs) in patients presenting to a neurosurgical service.
  • To investigate if there is a significant difference in the prevalence of SDHs between the left and right sides, specifically for chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs).

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of all patients with SDHs presenting to Christchurch Hospital's Neurosurgical Service from January 1996 to June 2006.
  • Inclusion of both surgically treated and conservatively managed patients.
  • Data collected included patient demographics, SDH type (acute, subacute, chronic), and laterality.

Main Results:

  • A total of 413 patients presented with 450 SDHs: 150 acute (33.3%), 38 subacute (8.4%), and 262 chronic (58.2%).
  • Male predominance was observed across all SDH subgroups (67% male, 33% female).
  • While acute and subacute SDHs were unilaterally distributed, chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs) showed a statistically significant higher prevalence on the left side (57.2%) compared to the right (42.7%; p=0.0345).

Conclusions:

  • Chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs) exhibit a significant left-sided prevalence.
  • The findings suggest potential underlying factors contributing to the increased diagnosis of left-sided CSDHs.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the reasons behind this observed laterality in CSDHs.

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