[Post-traumatic cerebellar hematomas].

Abstract

The authors present 16 cases of post-traumatic intracerebellar haematomas treated in the Department of Neurosurgery and the Division of Neurotraumatology, Chair of Neurosurgery, Medical Academy in Lódź in the years 1948-1987. The analysis included the type of trauma, the clinical course, the laboratory investigations and treatment methods. The following conclusions have been reached: Intracerebellar haematomas are post-traumatic complications of adult age following most frequency falls. On the basis of the clinical pattern it has not been possible to isolate a clinical syndrome characteristic for intracerebellar haematoma. A similar clinical course is observed in cases of other haematomas situated in other parts of the posterior cranial fossa. In the diagnosis of decisive importance is CT or operation. Mortality in intracerebellar haematomas is similar to that in epidural haematomas. Deaths occurred in cases operated on in acute stage. Owing to increasing availability of CT conservative treatment of intracerebellar haematomas has become possible. Follow-up shows that worse results of surgical treatment were obtained in cases of acute haematomas. In cases of chronic haematoma late results of treatment were good.