• Christian Compagnone, Gordon D Murray, Graham M Teasdale, Andrew I R Maas, Domenico Esposito, Pietro Princi, Domenico D'Avella, Franco Servadei, and European Brain Injury Consortium.
• World Health Organization Neurotrauma Collaborating Centre and Department of Neurosurgery, M. Bufalini Hospital, Cesena, Italy.
• Neurosurgery. 2005 Dec 1; 57 (6): 1183-92; discussion 1183-92.

ObjectiveControversy exists about the indications and timing for surgery in head injured patients with an intradural mass lesion. The aim of this study was to survey contemporary approaches to the treatment of head injured patients with an intradural lesion, placing a particular focus on the utilization of decompressive craniectomy.MethodsA prospective international survey was conducted over a 3-month period in 67 centers from 24 countries on the neurosurgical management of head injured patients with an intradural mass lesion and/or radiological signs of raised intracranial pressure. Information was obtained about demographic, clinical, and radiological features; surgical management, and mortality at discharge.ResultsOver the period of the study, data were collected about 729 patients consecutively admitted to one of the participating centers. The survey included 397 patients with a severe head injury (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] 3-8), 155 with a moderate head injury (GCS 9-12) and 143 patients with a mild head injury (GCS 13-15). An operation was performed on 502 patients (69%). Emergency surgery (<24 h) was most frequently performed for patients with an extracerebral mass lesions (subdural hematomas) whereas delayed surgery was most frequently performed for an intracerebral hematoma or contusion. Decompressive craniectomy was performed in a substantial number of patients, either during an emergency procedure (n = 134, 33%) or a delayed procedure (n = 47, 31%). The decompressive procedure was nearly always combined with evacuation of a mass lesion. The size of the decompression was however considered too small in 25% of cases.ConclusionThe results provide a contemporary picture of neurosurgical surgical approaches to the management of head injured patients with an intradural mass lesion and/or signs of raised intracranial pressure in some Neurosurgical Units across the world. The relative benefits of early versus delayed surgery in patients with intraparenchymal lesions and on the indications, technique and benefits of decompressive craniectomy could be topics for future head injury research.

25 keywords...

hide…