Chronic epidural hematomas in childhood: increased recognition and non-surgical management.

Three children with chronic intracranial epidural hematomas are described. The hematomas were identified by computed tomographic scanning two to eleven days after a head injury. Two of the children were managed non-surgically over a one month period, during which time they remained stable without deteriorating consciousness or development of focal neurologic signs, and with evidence of resorption of the hematomas on follow-up scans. One child, initially clinically stable, had surgical evacuation of her clot 17 days after the injury because of a recurrence of vomiting. The children with chronic epidural hematomas managed without neurosurgical intervention were normal on subsequent neurologic examinations.