No Value of Routine Brain Computed Tomography 6 Weeks after Evacuation of Chronic Subdural Hematoma

• Main Authors: Christian Bonde Pedersen, Filippa Sundbye, Frantz Rom Poulsen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc. 2017-10-01
• Series: The Surgery Journal
• Subjects: chronic subdural hematoma; postoperative ct scan; evacuation; recurrence
• Online Access: http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0037-1607215

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of planned control postoperative brain computed tomography (CT) scan performed 4 to 6 weeks after the evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma. Materials and Methods This retrospective study examined 202 patients who during a 2-year period from 2011 and 2012 underwent surgical treatment for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). Information on patient age, sex, alcohol consumption, anticoagulant/antiplatelet treatment, history of head trauma, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), neurological symptoms, laterality of CSDH, and surgical technique was retrieved from patient charts. Results Overall, 27 out of 202 patients had a recurrence of CSDH and re-evacuation of the hematoma was performed. In all patients recurrence of neurological symptoms preceded the planned postoperative control brain CT 4 to 6 weeks after primary surgery. Conclusion Routinely postoperative control brain CT scan 4 to 6 weeks after the evacuation of a CSDH has no clinical value.