Summary
Extradural haematoma (EDH) is generally a condition of young adult males. It represents only a small percentage of the total number of head injuries admitted to a neurosurgical service, but it must be differentiated from simple concussion, and this means that it is considered in a large number of patients. EDH has the potential for a low mortality rate because of its extraaxial location, but in practice it is approximately 10%. Our results show that about 40% of EDH present with vomiting or nausea and no focal neurological signs. Skull X-ray does not aid in the diagnosis as approximately 35% are reported as being normal. There is a place for conservative treatment of EDH but only if the shift of the midline is minimal (< 5 mm). A score has been developed to predict accurately a patient's outcome after suffering an EDH. This score includes the Glasgow Coma Scale, pupillary reaction and initial CT scan appearance, and has an accuracy of 88%.
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Cook, R.J., Dorsch, N.W.C., Fearnside, M.R. et al. Outcome prediction in extradural haematomas. Acta neurochir 95, 90–94 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01790766
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01790766