Computed tomography of intracerebral hematomas. I. Transmission CT observations on hematoma resolution.

Changes in the size and density of intracerebral hematomas were investigated by analyzing the sequential CT studies of 40 patients. Intracerebral hematomas decrease in density by an average of 0.7 EMI units per day. The dense portion of the hematoma decreases in size by an average of 0.65 mm per day. Mass effect does not decrease in proportion to the decrease in size of the dense portion of the hematoma but is delayed. The only instances of increasing mass effect occurred in patients undergoing surgical evacuation of the hematoma and in those who sustained trauma. Posthematoma residua include decreased parenchymal density, focal atrophy, and ventricular enlargement.