Surgical Treatment of Pontine Hematoma

ABSTRACT

Three cases of pontine hematoma accompanied by serious neurological symptoms with coma were treated surgically. All patients underwent suboccipital craniectomy with removal of hematoma and subsequently ventriculoperitoneal shunts were needed in all cases. Postoperatively all cases showed improvement with some neurological sequelae remained. Most of untreated pontine hematoma may be fatal, whereas surgical evacuation of the hematoma is safe and promising. We emphasize surgical treatment of pontine hematoma should be considered in any cases though they show serious neurological deficits.