[Delayed traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage. Report of 5 cases]

Five cases of traumatic delayed intracerebral hemorrhage are reported. At the admission two patients showed only contusional injury and three had acute intracranial hematomas, one with an extradural infratentorial and two with supratentorial hematomas, which were immediately removed. Repeated CT-scans revealed the delayed intracerebral hemorrhage. Three patients developed an intracerebral hemorrhage within the first 24 hours after admission. The possible mechanisms producing these lesions are discussed. The high mortality of these patients (four in our series) is associated with severe brain damage after the traumatism.