Abstract :
Background: Chronic SDH usually affects the elderly population. The common symptoms in chronic SDH patients are headache, altered sensorium, memory loss, weakness and lethargy. Timely surgical intervention is advisable wherever indicated.
Aims: To interpret the patient demographics, causes, presentations and surgical management in chronic subdural haematoma patients.
Settings and Design: Patients were analysed as per their demographic characteristics, clinical features and surgical management done.
Materials and Methods: Fifty patients of chronic SDH were analysed.
Statistical analysis: Statistical evaluation was done
Results: Most of the patients were in the 7th and 8th decade of life. Patients in our study were mostly of the urban areas (60%) than rural areas (40%). 66% of patients were males and 34% of patients were females. Trauma (52%) was most common cause for Chronic SDH formation. Headache was the most common (89%) presenting symptom in our study. Altered sensorium was the next common presentation. Most of the patients (76%) had GCS score of 13-15 at presentation. Burr hole evacuation was the preferred surgical treatment modality (90%).
Conclusion: Chronic SDH is a common neurosurgical entity mostly seen in elderly. Patients from urban areas have higher occurrence of Chronic SDH due to better diagnostic and health facilities. Headache is the one of the most common presenting symptom and trauma being one of the most common causes for its occurrence. Whenever in doubt especially in elderly CT scan head can be considered to rule out its occurrence. Burr hole evacuation is the preferred surgical treatment modality in most of the cases. Timely surgical intervention is advisable wherever indicated.
Keyword :
Chronic subdural haematoma, Causes, Patients demography, Clinical presentation.