ABSTRACT
One hundreds eighty cases of traumatic intracerebral hematoma(TICH) among 1,633 head injury patients diagnosed with computerized tomography in neurosurgical department from Jan. 1990 to Jun. 1996. were classified into two TICH groups; TICH group associated with other traumatic intracranial lesions and TICH group without other traumatic intracranial lesions. The incidence of TICH was 11.0% and percentage of TICH with other traumatic intracranial lesions among 180 cases of TICH was 66.7%. TICH group with other traumatic intracranial lesions showed worse initial level of consciousness, more likely to have abnormal pupillary reflex, higher incidence of delayed traumatic intracerebral hematomas(DTICH), greater amount of hematoma, increased chance of surgery and worse outcome. In TICH group with other traumatic intracranial lesions, the factors affecting prognosis were initial Glasgow coma scale(GCS) score, pupillary reflex, amount of hematoma and treatment modality. In TICH only group, the factors affecting prognosis were initial GCS score, pupillary reflex, amount of hematoma and DTICH. The patients with 12-15 of GCS score, normal pupillary reflex, absence of DTICH, and amount of hematoma below 10cc, the presence of other traumatic intracranial lesions were found to be important prognostic factor. The overall mortality was 27.7% but in TICH group with other traumatic intracranial lesions, the mortality was 35.0% compared to 13.3% in TICH only group. It is concluded from this study that in the case with other traumatic intracranial lesions, TICH showed worse initial neurological status and prognosis compared to those without other lesions. Thus, these patients, although in conditions of good general clinical index at admission, should be considered to provide intensive care and treatment because these associated lesions will play as a bad prognostic factor.