J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  1991 Nov;20(10-11):854-859.

Decompressive Craniectomy for Acute Cerebral Infarction

Affiliations
  • 1Departments of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Departments of Neurosurgery, Daejeon Rehabilitation Hospital, Korea.

Abstract

We present a series of 10 Patients(Seven men and three women with an average age of 53 years) who underwent decompressive craniectomy for treatment to massive brain swelling following acute cerebral infarction. Clinical signs of cerebral herniation(anisocoria or fixed and dilated pupil, and/or hemiplegia with decerebrate righidity) were present in all patients. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed the mass effect by cerebral edema through midline shift. All patients were treated with an extensive craniectomy and duroplasty. Among them, one recovered without neurological deficit, three were moderately disabled but functionally dependent, three remained in a persistent vegetative state and three died within 9 days after surgery(good recovery=1, moderate disability=3, persistent vegetative state=3, death=3). The results suggest that decompressive craniectomy can be an useful lifesaving procedure for massive cerebral edema following widespread hemispheric infarction.

Keyword

Cerebral infarction; Brain edema; Brain swelling; Decompressive craniectomy; Prognosis

MeSH Terms

Brain Edema
Cerebral Infarction*
Decompressive Craniectomy*
Female
Hemiplegia
Humans
Infarction
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Persistent Vegetative State
Prognosis
Pupil
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