Spontaneous intracerebral haematomas. Clinical and computertomographic findings and long-term outcome after surgical treatment.

Fifty-four patients, aged 15 to 81 years had a spontaneous intracerebral haematoma surgically removed (51 patients) or had ventricular drainage. One-third had arterial hypertension. Two thirds were alert or drowsy preoperatively and two thirds presented with hemiparesis or decerebrate rigidity. Lobar haematomas constituted 72%, deep supratentorial constituted 21% and cerebellar haematomas 7%. Volume of the haematomas ranged from 10 to 205 ml. 10 patients died in the early postoperative phase and 8 patients died later. Among 36 survivors, 35 were evaluated 15-115 months postoperatively. 10 had resumed part of their earlier occupation. Another 12 were incapacitated and the remaining 13 patients needed nursing care. No patient was neurologically or neuropsychologically intact, but 19 had only slight disabilities. CT-changes at follow-up ranged from no abnormalities at all to low-density lesions, possibly associated with dilatation of a lateral ventricle or porencephaly depending on the size of the haematoma and possible ventricular penetration. Surgical evacuation of ICH is recommended in lobar or deep supratentorial haematomas exceeding 20 ml except in patients older than 60 already unconscious. Smaller haematomas with intraventricular extension may benefit from ventricular drainage or, in the fossa posterior, even from evacuation in case of increasing brain stem compression.