Prognostic Factors in Spontaneous Thalamic Hemorrhage

OBJECT: Object of this study is to study which factors affect the prognosis in spontaneous thalamic hemorrhage treated with conservative method, stereotactic surgery and extraventricular drainage. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed 127 patients with spontaneous thalamic hemorrhage for evaluating the factors affecting prognosis. Various factors such as age, sex, location of hematoma, Glasgow coma scale(GCS) on admission, intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH), ventricular dilatation, CT classification, hematoma diameter, 4th ventricle dilatation, and treatment modality. RESULTS: The results were as follows: 1) Of the 40 patients with GCS of 3 to 8, 15 patients(37.5%) died. Of the 34 patients with GCS of 13-15, 33 patients(97%) survived 2) The 99 patients had intraventricular hemorrhage and 25 patients(25.2%) died. The 28 patients had no intraventricular hemorrhage and they all survived. 3) Of the 24 patients in whom the cerebrocaudate index(CCI) was more than 0.25, 10 patients(41.6%) died and only 2 patients had good prognosis. The 35 patients had no ventricular dilatation and all 35 patients survived 4) Of the 23 patients extending to hypothalamus or midbrain with ventricular hemorrhage, 11 patients(47.8%) died and 12 patients(52.1%) survived. 5) Of the 10 patients in whom hematoma diameter was more than 45mm, 4 patients(40%) died and 6 patients(60%) had a poor prognosis. 6) The 31 patients had hemorrhagic dilatation of the fourth ventricle and 16 patients(51.6%) died. Of the 29 patients with ventricular hemorrhage and no dilatation, 6 patients(20.6%) died. CONCLUSION: Multiple logistic regression analysis showed prognostic factors: GCS score(p<1/20.0001), extending to hypotahalamus or midbrain with ventricular hemorrhage(p<1/20.0001), thalamic hematoma with IVH(p<1/20.0001), dilated 4th ventricle hemorrhage(p<1/20.0012), hematoma diameter(p<1/20.0001), CCI(p<1/20.0001).

Subdural Empyema in Infants

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to review the etiologies, phathophysiology, clinical presentations and to compare the results of the surgical methods of subdural empyema especially in infants. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the clinical data of five infantile subdural empyemas experienced in our hospital from 1993 to 1998 which were all surgically treated by craniotomy or burr hole trephination. We experienced five cases of infantile subdural empyema: two males and three females. The ages ranged from 40 days to 11 months. RESULTS: The etiologies of all five cases were unproven but all five cases had meningitis before the subdural empyemas were diagnosed. The causative organism in one was streptococcus pneumoniae, and the other were unknown. Two were treated with craniotomy(one with a good outcome and the other died) and three were treated with burr hole trephination(all three had a good outcome). CONCLUSION: Subdural empyema is a rapid progressing disease and it is important to detect and treat in the early stages of disease. The choice of surgical method must be based on the stage of the disease and its location in the cranial cavity.