Evaluation of computed tomography of intraventricular hemorrhage

ABSTRACT

Prior to the introduction of CT, the clinical and radiological diagnosis of the intraventicular hemorrhage inliving patients was difficult. C.T. scanning is an invaluable investigation provding the rapid and noninvasivediagnosis of intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage. It reliably demonstrated the presence and distributionof fresh blood within the ventricular system. CT is also useful as a surgical guidance and in the evaluation offate of the hematoma by easily performable follow-up studies. We reviewed 3 cases of intraventricular hemorrhagein CT in the departement of radiology of Ewha Womans University hospital during the period from August, 1982 toAugust, 1983. The results were as follows 1. The most patients were encountered in the 5th decade and the male tofemale ratio was 1.21. 2. Hypertension was the main cause of the intraventricular hemorrhage; 18 out of 31patients. Remaning 13 patients were caused by hypoxia, aneurysm, Moya Moya disease, coagulation defect, trauma andundetermined etiology. 3. 18 out of 31 patients showed hemorrhage in the lateral ventricles only and allventricles in 10 patients. 4. 28 out of 31 patients showed associated with intracranial hematoma Those wereintracerebral hematomas in 16 patients, intracerebral hematoma with subarachnoid hemorrhage in 4 patients andextracerebral hematoma in 2 patients. 5. Outcome was assessed using the Glasgow scale. According to them the totalmortality rate was 54.8%, however, 32.2% of patients retured to normal or minor disablity. Patients, who hadhypertension and markded degree of hemorrhage in the ventricular systems had a poor outcome. Patients with onlyventricular hemorrhage had better outcome than associated intracranial hematoma. 6. 16 out of 31 patients weretreated by surgical methods and 15 out of 31 patients by conservative methods. 75% of patients were died inconservative treatment. 7. Conclusively, causes, degree of intraventricular hemorrhage and associatedintraventricular hematoma play an important role in outcome. And surgical treatment was beneficial in only a smallselective number of cases in intraventricular hemorrhage.