Intracranial hemorrhage following drainage of chronic subdural effusion and hematoma: A case report and review of the literature.

Abstract

Acute intracranial hemorrhage (AIH) after drainage of chronic subdural hematoma is a rare but serious complication. An 86-year-old man with bilateral frontotemporal subdural effusion, hematoma, and cerebral hernia was admitted to our department and treated with bilateral burr hole surgery and closed-system drainage under local anesthesia. After the operation, computed tomography (CT) showed AIH in the left temporal and occipital lobe, and then a series of head CT showed that the hematoma gradually increased day by day. This patient had a medical history of hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and taking warfarin. He was treated conservatively, but had not recovered at discharge after 1 month. We reviewed the relevant literature and analyzed the operation opportunity, causes of cerebral hemorrhage, and preventive measures in similar patients. We suppose that the coagulation abnormality and rapid fluctuations of intracranial pressure were the main causes of development of AIH in our patient. Several possible reasons such as brain shift and impaired vascular autoregulation are also associated with postoperative AIH. We must be aware of this complication and keep some preventive measures in our mind.