Radiologic Factors Predicting Deterioration of Mental Status in Patients with Acute Traumatic Subdural Hematoma

RADAR - Radiomics on aSDH: predicting outcome with surface area

BACKGROUND

Acute subdural hematoma is a critical condition, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Despite advancements in surgical techniques, a portion of patients only show limited clinical improvement post-evacuation. Surgical intervention decisions are critically important, as they can either improve or worsen a patient's condition. Radiomics offers significant potential by extracting complex patterns from digital medical images and transforming them into high-dimensional data that reflect the underlying pathophysiology. By integrating Radiomics with individual patient characteristics, we can develop decision support models. This study aims to analyze radiomic parameters of aSDH to determine whether they support the decision to proceed with urgent surgery or opt for a conservative approach. We hypothesized that surface area could be a significant predictor of neurological outcome such as maintaining independent mobility (mRS ≥ 3) and survival rates.

METHODS

This retrospective study involved radiomic analysis according to neurological outcome and survival. Radiomic parameters were measured using 3D Slicer software. Statistical analyses explored correlations, employing AUC-analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed significant correlations between hematoma and surface area with poorer neurological prognosis. Further subgroup analysis showed surface area as a significant predictor for poorer outcomes in patients undergoing craniotomy (p = 0.006 in univariant- and p = 0.020 in multivariant analysis). In the total cohort, among conservatively managed and craniotomy subgroups, survival analysis highlighted an advantageous survival for patients exhibiting smaller surface areas (< 339.50 cm2).

CONCLUSIONS

Especially in craniotomy patients, surface area emerged as a possible predictor for neurological outcome and survival.

Correlating Age and Hematoma Volume with Extent of Midline Shift in Acute Subdural Hematoma Patients: Validation of an Artificial Intelligence Tool for Volumetric Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Decision for intervention in acute subdural hematoma patients is based on a combination of clinical and radiographic factors. Age has been suggested as a factor to be strongly considered when interpreting midline shift (MLS) and hematoma volume data for assessing critical clinical severity during operative intervention decisions for acute subdural hematoma patients. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the use of an automated volumetric analysis tool to measure hematoma volume and MLS and quantify their relationship with age.

METHODS

A total of 1789 acute subdural hematoma patients were analyzed using qER-Quant software (Qure.ai, Mumbai, India) for MLS and hematoma volume measurements. Univariable and multivariable regressions analyzed association between MLS, hematoma volume, age, and MLS:hematoma volume ratio.

RESULTS

In comparison to young patients (≤ 70 years), old patients (>70 years) had significantly higher average hematoma volume (old: 62.2 mL vs. young 46.8 mL, P < 0.0001), lower average MLS (old: 6.6 mm vs. young: 7.4 mm, P = 0.025), and lower average MLS:hematoma volume ratio (old: 0.11 mm/mL vs. young 0.15 mm/mL, P < 0.0001). Young patients had an average of 1.5 mm greater MLS for a given hematoma volume in comparison to old patients. With increasing age, the ratio between MLS and hematoma volume significantly decreases (P = 0.0002).

CONCLUSIONS

Commercially available, automated, artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools may be used for obtaining quantitative radiographic measurement data in patients with acute subdural hematoma. Our quantitative results are consistent with the qualitative relationship previously established between age, hematoma volume, and MLS, which supports the validity of using AI-based tools for acute subdural hematoma volume estimation.

Association between tumor size and peritumoral brain edema in patients with convexity and parasagittal meningiomas

Background and purpose

Peritumoral brain edema (PTBE) is a common complication in meningioma and disruption of the tumor-brain barrier in meningioma is crucial for PTBE formation. To evaluate the association between meningioma size and PTBE, we measured meningioma volumes using the 3D slicer in patients with convexity and parasagittal meningiomas.

Methods

Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off meningioma volume values for predicting PTBE occurrence. Logistic regressions were used to estimate the odds ratios for PTBE occurrence in patients with convexity and parasagittal meningiomas according to several predictive factors.

Results

A total of 205 convexity or parasagittal meningioma patients with no other brain disease who underwent one or more contrast-enhanced brain MRIs were enrolled in this 10-year analysis in two hospitals. The optimal cut-off meningioma volume value for prediction of PTBE in all study patients was 13.953 cc (sensitivity = 76.1%; specificity = 92.5%). If a meningioma is assumed to be a complete sphere, 13.953 cc is about 2.987 cm in diameter.

Conclusions

Our study suggests a cut-off value of 3 cm meningioma diameter for prediction of PTBE in patients with convexity and parasagittal meningiomas. We believe that we have revealed why the meningioma diameter of 3 cm is clinically meaningful.

Mismatch between midline shift and hematoma thickness as a prognostic factor of mortality in patients sustaining acute subdural hematoma

BACKGROUND

Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is a traumatic lesion commonly found secondary to traumatic brain injury. Radiological findings on CT, such as hematoma thickness (HT) and structures midline shift (MLS), have an important prognostic role in this disease. The relationship between HT and MLS has been rarely studied in the literature. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prognostic accuracy of the difference between MLS and HT for acute outcomes in patients with ASDH in a low-income to middle-income country.

METHODS

This was a post-hoc analysis of a prospective cohort study conducted in a university-associated tertiary-level hospital in Brazil. The TRIPOD (Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis) statement guidelines were followed. The difference values between MLS and HT (Zumkeller index, ZI) were divided into three categories (<0.00, 0.01-3, and >3). Logistic regression analyses were performed to reveal the OR of categorized ZI in predicting primary outcome measures. A Cox regression was also performed and the results were presented through HR. The discriminative ability of three multivariate models including clinical and radiological variables (ZI, Rotterdam score, and Helsinki score) was demonstrated.

RESULTS

A total of 114 patients were included. Logistic regression demonstrated an OR value equal to 8.12 for the ZI >3 category (OR 8.12, 95% CI 1.16 to 40.01; p=0.01), which proved to be an independent predictor of mortality in the adjusted model for surgical intervention, age, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that this category was associated with 14-day survival (HR 2.92, 95% CI 1.38 to 6.16; p=0.005). A multivariate analysis performed for three models including age and GCS with categorized ZI or Helsinki or Rotterdam score demonstrated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.745, 0.767, and 0.808, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study highlights the potential usefulness of the difference between MLS and HT as a prognostic variable in patients with ASDH.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, epidemiological study.

Predictive factors of 30-day mortality in patients with traumatic subdural hematoma

In the present study, we aimed to assess and analyze the predictive factors of 30-day mortality in patients with acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) who underwent surgical intervention after traumatic brain injury (TBI). We conducted a retrospective study, which included a cohort of 135 consecutive patients diagnosed with ASDH who required surgical evacuation. We assessed the demographic and clinical data, the imaging data of the hematoma described by preoperative computed tomography (CT) and the type of neurosurgical intervention for hematoma evacuation via either craniectomy or craniotomy. The patients were followed up for 30 days after head trauma and the occurrence of death was noted. Death was recorded in 63 (46.6%) patients at 30 days after TBI. There was a significant number of deceased patients who underwent craniectomy (71.4%). The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was statistically significantly lower in patients who died (P<0.001), with a cut-off value of ≤12, under which the probability of death increased [AUC 0.830 (95% CI, 0.756-0.889); Se 90.48% (95% CI, 80.4-96.4); Sp 66.7% (95% CI, 54.6-77.3); P<0.001]. The midline shift was statistically significantly higher in deceased patients (P=0.005), with a cut-off value of >7 mm, over which the probability of death increased [AUC 0.637 (95% CI, 0.550-0.718); Se 38.1% (95% CI, 26.1-51.2); Sp 86.1% (95% CI, 75.9-93.1); P=0.003]. There were significantly more deceased patients with intracranial hypertension, brain herniation, brain swelling, intraparenchymal hematoma and cranial fracture. In multivariate analysis only a Glasgow score ≤12 and a midline shift >7 mm were independently linked to mortality. Brain herniation and intraparenchymal hematoma were associated with a higher probability of dying, but the statistical threshold was slightly exceeded. The type of neurosurgery performed for patients with ASDH was not an independent predictive factor for 30-day mortality. However, craniectomy was associated with a higher mortality in patients with ASDH.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage in patients taking prehospital antiplatelet therapy: Is there a role for platelet transfusions?

BACKGROUND

Platelet transfusion has been utilized to reverse platelet dysfunction in patients on preinjury antiplatelets who have sustained a traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (tICH); however, there is little evidence to substantiate this practice. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review on the impact of platelet transfusion on survival, hemorrhage progression and need for neurosurgical intervention in patients with tICH on prehospital antiplatelet medication.

METHODS

Controlled, observational and randomized, prospective and retrospective studies describing tICH, preinjury antiplatelet use, and platelet transfusion reported in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Reviews, Cochrane Trials and Cochrane DARE databases between January 1987 and March 2019 were included. Investigations of concomitant anticoagulant use were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. We calculated pooled estimates of relative effect of platelet transfusion on the risk of death, hemorrhage progression and need for neurosurgical intervention using the methods of Dersimonian-Laird random-effects meta-analysis. Sensitivity analysis established whether study size contributed to heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses determined whether antiplatelet type, additional blood products/reversal agents, or platelet function assays impacted effect size using meta-regression.

RESULTS

Twelve of 18,609 screened references were applicable to our questions and were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. We found no association between platelet transfusion and the risk of death in patients with tICH taking prehospital antiplatelets (odds ratio [OR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-2.18; p = 0.346; I = 32.5%). There was no significant reduction in hemorrhage progression (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.34-2.28; p = 0.788; I = 78.1%). There was no significant reduction in the need for neurosurgical intervention (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.53-1.90, p = 0.996; I = 59.1%; p = 0.032).

CONCLUSION

Current evidence does not support the use of platelet transfusion in patients with tICH on prehospital antiplatelets, highlighting the need for a prospective evaluation of this practice.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Level III.

Development of the Subdural Hematoma in the Elderly (SHE) score to predict mortality

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to describe the development of a novel prognostic score, the Subdural Hematoma in the Elderly (SHE) score. The SHE score is intended to predict 30-day mortality in elderly patients (those > 65 years of age) with an acute, chronic, or mixed-density subdural hematoma (SDH) after minor, or no, prior trauma.

METHODS

The authors used the Prognosis Research Strategy group methods to develop the clinical prediction model. The training data set included patients with acute, chronic, and mixed-density SDH. Based on multivariate analyses from a large data set, in addition to review of the extant literature, 3 components to the score were selected: age, admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, and SDH volume. Patients are given 1 point if they are over 80 years old, 1 point for an admission GCS score of 5-12, 2 points for an admission GCS score of 3-4, and 1 point for SDH volume > 50 ml. The sum of points across all categories determines the SHE score.

RESULTS

The 30-day mortality rate steadily increased as the SHE score increased for all SDH acuities. For patients with an acute SDH, the 30-day mortality rate was 3.2% for SHE score of 0, and the rate increased to 13.1%, 32.7%, 95.7%, and 100% for SHE scores of 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The model was most accurate for acute SDH (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.94), although it still performed well for chronic (AUC = 0.80) and mixed-density (AUC = 0.87) SDH.

CONCLUSIONS

The SHE score is a simple clinical grading scale that accurately stratifies patients' risk of mortality based on age, admission GCS score, and SDH volume. Use of the SHE score could improve counseling of patients and their families, allow for standardization of clinical treatment protocols, and facilitate clinical research studies in SDH.

Predictive Factors of Poor Prognosis After Surgical Management of Traumatic Acute Subdural Hematomas: A Single-Center Series

BACKGROUND

Traumatic acute subdural hematomas (ASDHs) showed the highest mortality of intracranial hematomas. The aim of the current study was to identify predictive factors of poor prognosis among patients who were operated on.

METHODS

This is a single-center retrospective cohort study of 82 patients who underwent surgical evacuation of a traumatic ASDH between January 2009 and December 2016. The epidemiologic, clinical, radiologic, and surgical features were recorded. Postoperative outcome were assessed by the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score at 6 months. Univariate and multivariate analysis and a classification and regression tree (CART) were performed.

RESULTS

At 6 months, 76% of patients achieved an unfavorable outcome (GOS score 1-3). The context of polytrauma (P = 0.03) and ASDH thickness ≥20 mm (P = 0.02) were significantly associated with poor outcome in the multivariate analysis. The CART algorithm isolated 3 subgroups of patients with an unfavorable prognosis: polytrauma (91%), isolated head injury (HI) featuring an ASDH thickness ≥20 mm (89%), or isolated HI featuring a thickness <20 mm in a patient older than 54 years (71%). Isolated patients with HI younger than 54 years harboring an ASDH <20 mm thick had the most promising results, with 53% with a GOS score of 4 or 5.

CONCLUSIONS

The context of polytrauma, ASDH thickness, and age were major predictive factors of poor prognosis in patients with surgically evacuated traumatic ASDH. The CART algorithm using these features isolated subgroups with decreasingly unfavorable outcome, providing a relevant statistical tool to apply to future studies of traumatic ASDH.