Post-traumatic hydrocephalus in patients with severe head injury

Computerized tomography was performed on 100 consecutive patients suffering from severe head injury, on admission, after 3, 5, 14, and 90 days and 1 year. Ventricular enlargement was evaluated in the surviving patients based upon serial CT examinations. The presence or absence of ventricular enlargement was correlated with the clinical outcome. The study indicates that a significant correlation does exist between the outcome and ventricular size. Hydrocephalus was seen in only four out of the 29 patients who developed ventriculomegaly.