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Published on: October 2, 2014
Intracranial extradural hematoma: Spontaneous rapid decompression - not resolution
Abdul Rashid Bhat1, Uday Singh Raswan1, Altaf Rehman Kirmani1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Insights
A pediatric head injury case shows an extradural hematoma (EDH) resolving spontaneously. The intracranial EDH resolved within 5 hours, preventing surgery and allowing close monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- A 2-year-old child sustained a fall from height, presenting with altered consciousness and a right parietal swelling.
- Initial imaging revealed a parietal bone fracture, extradural hematoma (EDH), and cephalhematoma.
Observation:
- The child remained alert and active despite the initial injury findings.
- Serial computed tomography (CT) scans were performed to monitor the intracranial hematoma.
Findings:
- A dramatic resolution of the intracranial EDH was observed within 4.5 hours.
- The EDH spontaneously evacuated into the subgaleal space, decompressing the intracranial compartment.
Implications:
- This case highlights a rare instance of spontaneous EDH resolution, obviating the need for surgical evacuation.
- Such cases underscore the importance of serial imaging and close monitoring in pediatric head trauma.
- Understanding spontaneous hematoma resolution can refine management strategies for traumatic brain injuries.
Abstract:
The surgical option to evacuate an intracranial extradural hematoma (EDH) was postponed in a 2-year-old female child who appeared fully alert and active after a brief spell of unconsciousness following a fall from height. The child was received, with a swelling on and around the right parietal eminence, by the emergency staff just half an hour after the time of injury. The immediate X-ray skull and first computed tomography (CT) scan head showed a parietal bone fracture, EDH, and cephalhematoma. However, follow-up CT scan head after about 4½ h revealed the dramatic absence of EDH but increased size and bogginess of cephalhematoma. The EDH had transported into subgaleal space resulting in a decompression of intracranial compartment in <5 h, thereby preventing surgical intervention but necessitating monitoring, though there was no back flow intracranially.
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