Anticoagulation therapy a risk factor for the development of chronic subdural hematoma

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common disease among the elderly and with increasing incidence we have chosen to focus on associations between development and recurrence of CSDH and anticoagulation and/or antiplatelet agent therapy.

We conducted a retrospective review of 239 patients undergoing surgery for CSDH over a period of six years (2006-2011). Risk factors such as age, head trauma, anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet agent therapy and co-morbidity were investigated along with gender, coagulation status, laterality, surgical method and recurrence.

Seventy-two percent of the patients were male and the mean age was 71.8 years (range 28-97 years). Previous fall with head trauma was reported in 60% of the patients while 16% were certain of no previous head trauma. The majority of patients (63%) in the non-trauma group were receiving anticoagulants and/or antiplatelet agent therapy prior to CSDH presentation, compared to 42% in the trauma group. Twenty-four percent experienced recurrence of the CSDH. There was no association between recurrence and anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet agent therapy.

Anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet aggregation agent therapy is more prevalent among non-traumatic CSDH patients but does not seem to influence the rate of CSDH recurrence.