The incidence of delayed traumatic intracerebral hematoma with extradural hemorrhages

After introduction of computerized tomography (CT), we experienced 22 patients with traumatic extradural and intracerebral combined hematomas, of whom 15 underwent sequential CT scans. In 14 of the 22 patients or 13 of the 15 patients whose initial CT scans were performed early, within 6 hours after injury, intracerebral hematomas developed more slowly than extradural hematomas. In ten of the 13 patients, development of intracerebral hematomas was demonstrated only after removal of extradural hematomas, and in four patients acute brain swelling was observed during surgery. Therefore it is emphasized that the incidence of post-surgical intracerebral hematoma with extradural hemorrhages is high and that acute brain swelling during surgery for extradural hematomas is largely caused by the delayed intracerebral hematomas.