Remote Cerebellar Haemorrhage after Burr Hole Drainage of Chronic Subdural Haematoma: A Case Report

Burr hole drainage without irrigation for chronic subdural hematoma

Background:

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is one of the most common neurosurgical conditions, with different strategies for treatment. Most recent trials favor the use of drainage to reduce the recurrence rate. However, few reports have discussed the efficacy of burr hole drainage without irrigation for treating CSDH. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of burr hole drainage without irrigation in a series of 385 symptomatic CSDH lesions.

Methods:

This retrospective study included a series of 385 symptomatic CSDH lesions in 309 patients, who underwent burr hole drainage without irrigation, between September 2009 and August 2017 at the Department of Neurosurgery, Yao Tokushukai General Hospital, Japan. The risk of recurrence was evaluated based on the patients’ age, sex, preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, preoperative anticoagulants, hematoma drainage rate, and bilaterality.

Results:

Of the 385 lesions, 41 cases (16 with inadequate follow-up periods and 25 with contraindications for MRI) were excluded from the analysis. The overall recurrence rate in the index study was 4.9% (17/344 lesions). The effects of the preoperative hematoma volume and nonhyperintensity on T1-weighted imaging on the recurrence rate were significant.

Conclusion:

Our findings indicated that burr hole drainage without irrigation is a good surgical modality in patients with CSDH, and preoperative MRI findings can evaluate the risk of recurrence.

Acute parenchymal hemorrhage of three cases report after burr hole drainage of chronic subdural hematoma

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is one of the most common neurological diseases, which mainly occurs among elderly people and usually develop after minor head injuries. Over the years, a simple burr hole evacuation of the hematoma has been accepted as the widespread method for most cases of CSDH, but acute parenchymal hemorrhage is a rare and deadly complication after surgery. We report three elderly cases of post-operative parenchymal hemorrhage and analyse the underlying factors and formulate relevant strategies in this article. Three advanced age patients had been admitted to our department with gradually increasing headache and limb activity disorder urgently and underwent an emergency operation of burr hole drainage of CSDH in frontal-temporal region after preoperative evaluations and examinations. Unfortunately, acute post-operative parenchymal hemorrhage occurred in three advanced age patients. Ultimately, the patients achieved satisfying outcome with no significant neurological deficit through conservative treatment. The exact mechanism of such uncommon complications are difficult to explain and remain poorly understood. Advanced age, hypertension, amyloidosis, high perfusion triggered by rapid hematoma release, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) loss, oral anticoagulant, primary disease aggravation were the main mechanisms which were speculated in our report. Simultaneously, positive measures could be adopt to prevent this rare complication.

A closed system irrigation & drainage technique for surgical evacuation of chronic subdural haematomas

Background: Chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH), is a common neurosurgical disorder that is associated with morbidity and mortality affecting the ageing population. The aim is to present the treatment experience of CSDH patients treated with a technique that combines the classical single burr-hole irrigation and the continuous closed system drainage: The closed system irrigation & drainage (CSID) technique. Methods: The cases undergoing CSDH evacuation with the CSID method were captured over a 4-year period at a tertiary neurosurgical centre. The authors describe the performance of this methods with respect to post-operative clinical and radiological features, including recurrence rates, complications, and length of stay. Results: A total of 36 cases undergoing 42 CSID procedures (30 unilateral and 6 bilateral CSDHs) were performed, in cases ranging between 55-95 years old (median age 79 years). The rate of recurrence or significant ruminant blood in the subdural space on post-operative imaging was 11% (n=4). No cases of pneumocephalus were observed in this series (n=0). The mean (SD) skin-to-skin time for this procedure was 13.4 (4.4) minutes, with a mean (SD) length of stay of 4 (1.9) days. Conclusion: We conclude that the one burr-hole closed system irrigation and drainage technique with a sub-periosteal drain seems to be a simple, effective and safe procedure for treatment of CSDH. It's well tolerated under local anaesthesia for patients with high co-morbidities and these preliminary results indicated it may potentially be a better option for treatment of CSDH with a lower rate of post-operative complications.