Extradural haematoma. Report of 132 cases

In a consecutive unselected series of 132 cases of acute extradural haematoma among 9,600 patients who sustained a head injury and were admitted without delay to a regional neurosurgical department during the years 1964 to 1975 the overall mortality was 23 per cent. Associated intradural lesions, the relative infrequency of the lucid interval, sustained loss of consciousness from the time of admission, lack of the classical pupillary changes, and the rapid rise in intracranial pressure in some patients are factors of importance for the prognosis. It should be possible to improve the results and lower the mortality if due consideration is taken of these factors.