Hemispheric cerebral atrophy after traumatic extra-axial hematoma in adults.

The relationship between traumatic extra-axial hematomas and cerebral atrophy was investigated in 42 adult patients aged between 15 and 50 years who required removal of extra-axial hematomas. These patients were followed up by serial computed tomography for more than 6 months after head injury. Nine of these patients developed cerebral atrophy. Their Glasgow Coma Scale score on admission was 6.4 +/- 2.8 (mean +/- SD). The score of the patients without cerebral atrophy was 9.6 +/- 3.3 (p < 0.01). These patients had three extradural and six subdural hematomas. All patients with cerebral atrophy had cerebral swelling postoperatively, more prominent in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the hematoma in seven patients. This swelling was associated with global hypodensity and persisted for 10.4 +/- 2.9 days. The severity of cerebral atrophy was more prominent in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the hematoma in five of these seven patients. Extra-axial hematoma in patients with severe head injury can induce hemispheric cerebral atrophy in the underlying cerebral hemisphere.