The Surgical Results of Traumatic Subdural Hygroma Treated with Subduroperitoneal Shunt

Ju, Chang Il; Kim, Seok Won; Lee, Seung Myoung; Shin, Ho

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The detection rate of traumatic subdural hygroma(TSH) has increased after the development of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The treatment method and the mechanism of development of the TSH have been investigated, but they are still uncertain. This study is performed to evaluate the effectiveness of subduroperitoneal shunt in traumatic subdural hygroma. METHODS: Five hundred thirty six patients were diagnosed as TSH from 1996 to 2002, among them, 55 patients were operated with subduroperitoneal shunt. We analyzed shunt effect on the basis of clinical indetails, including the patient's symptoms at the diagnosis, duration from diagnosis to operation, changes of GCS, hygroma types. We classified the TSH into five types (frontal, frontocoronal, coronal, parietal and cerebellar type) according to the location of the thickest portion of TSH. RESULTS: The patients who have symptoms or signs related to frontal lobe compression (irritability, confusion) or increased intracranial pressure (headache, mental change), had symptomatic recovery rate above 80%. However, the patients who have focal neurological sign (hemiparesis, seizure and rigidity), showed recovery rate below 30%. The improvement rate was very low in the case of the slowly progressing TSH for over 6weeks. We experienced complications such as enlarged ventricle, chronic subdural hematoma, subdural empyema and acute SDH. CONCLUSION: Subduroperitoneal shunt appears to be effective in traumatic subdural hygroma when the patients who have symptoms or signs related to frontal lobe compression or increased ICP and progressing within 5weeks.