Acute subdural hematoma in a footballer following a head-ball of the ball: a rare neurosurgical complication

Abstract

Acute subdural hematoma is a frequent complication of high-energy head injuries. Herein, we report an unusual case of this condition that occurred in a young footballer after he head-balled a football. A 37-year-old footballer, during a match, jumped and gave a head shot on the ball. Upon landing, he felt severe headaches forcing him out of the stadium. About 4 h later, he lost consciousness and went into a coma. After resuscitation, he remained clouded, with cephalalgia and had left hemiparesis. The performed brain scan revealed an acute right fronto-parietal subdural hematoma and the patient benefited from craniotomy surgery in our department with simple postoperative suites. The authors, after a brief discussion of the biomechanics of this serious condition, ask all the actors of this very popular sport, to consider the possibility of occurrence of this condition in players.