Thromboelastography in Patients with Chronic Subdural Hematoma: A Prospective Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Hematology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) poses significant clinical challenges.
• Thromboelastography (TEG) is a viscoelastic graph that assesses hemostasis.
• The association between TEG and CSDH outcomes remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between thromboelastography (TEG) parameters and chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH).
• To evaluate TEG's potential in predicting CSDH severity, recurrence, and imaging characteristics.

Main Methods:

• A prospective pilot study included 52 patients diagnosed with CSDH.
• TEG parameters were analyzed preoperatively and postoperatively.
• Associations between TEG values and CSDH outcomes (severity, recurrence, imaging) were assessed.

Main Results:

• No significant association was found between TEG parameters and CSDH severity or functional outcomes (mRS, GOS).
• R values showed a significant difference in patients with CSDH recurrence (p=0.045).
• TEG parameters (LY30, Angle, MA) correlated significantly with CSDH imaging characteristics (thickness, midline shift, multiplicity) and hematoma absorption.

Conclusions:

• TEG parameters are associated with CSDH imaging features and may predict hematoma absorption.
• The efficacy of TEG in predicting CSDH recurrence is uncertain due to the small sample size.
• Large-scale prospective studies are recommended to validate these findings.