Subdural hematoma in infancy.

Abstract

Subdural hematoma in infancy is indeed a well-known clinical entity, and equally well known is the multiplicity of signs and symptoms of this condition and their lack of specificity, which add to the difficulty of the clinical diagnosis. Consequently, there is frequently a delay in the diagnosis which may be the cause of the poor results of surgical intervention, the damage to the brain being irreversible. Furthermore, groups of cases described by various authors, although having many points in common, may differ in the kind and frequency of various manifestations. In studying our material, consisting of 19 cases, we hoped to determine, by analyzing the history and clinical features, whether an earlier diagnosis on our part would be possible. We attempted to evaluate the result of treatment by correlating the child's postoperative development with the findings at the time of operation. CLINICAL FEATURES Of the 19 cases reviewed here, 12