[The epidural hematoma--diagnostic peculiarities, clinical courses and therapeutic results in a 12-year-study]

Over the past twelve years, diagnoses were applied to and operations performed on 71 patients exclusively for epidural haematoma. A retrospective classification and assessment was made of clinical courses, preoperative angiography as well as of findings recorded from computed tomography and direct clinical examination. The pattern of epidural haematoma was found to be characterised by different clinical courses. Highly useful findings were obtained from direct clinical examination, including fracture in 89 per cent of the above cases and injuries to soft tissue in 85 per cent. A correlation was found to exist between development of haematoma (degree of compression) and postoperative neurological condition. Six operations had to be repeated for postoperative haemorrhage or residual haematoma. The lethality amounted to 15.4 per cent.