OBJECTIVE:: Despite early diagnosis of traumatic epidural hematomas (EDHs) in children, mortality remained quite high in recent series. The aims of this analysis were to review the cause and outcome of pediatric EDH nowadays and to discuss outcome-related variables in a large consecutive series of surgically treated EDH in children. METHODS:: This is a retrospective case series of 39 patients (27 males, 69%) with surgically treated EDH between June 1997 and February 2007. Patients' medical records, computed tomographic scans, and, if performed, magnetic resonance imagings were reviewed to define variables associated with outcome. Variables included in the analysis were age, associated severe extracranial injury, abnormal pupillary response, hematoma thickness, severity of head injury (Glasgow Coma Scale score Language: en

Traumatic epidural hematomas in children and adolescents: outcome analysis in 39 consecutive unselected cases.

Objective: Craniotomy and evacuation is the standard treatment of acute epidural hematoma (EDH). Here, the authors report their experience in nonoperative management of acute EDH in

Conservative Management of Acute Epidural Hematoma in a Pediatric Age Group

Objective To describe the range of intracranial injuries encountered in 0–2-year-olds in cases of accidental head injury where the mechanism of trauma was well characterised and to assess the clinical consequences. Design A retrospective review of imaging and clinical data. Setting Two tertiary paediatric referral centres. Patients All children aged 0–2 undergoing cranial CT as indicated by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance for head injury from 2006 to 2011. After exclusion criteria, 149 patients were included. Main outcome measures Rates of skull fracture, intracranial haemorrhage, parenchymal injuries and ischaemic change per type of mechanism of injury. Rates of neurological sequelae on follow-up. Results Skull fractures were demonstrated in 54 (36%) patients of whom 17 (11%) had thin underlying subdural haemorrhage (SDH). Extradural haemorrhage complicated one fracture and two cases of isolated subdural haematomas were seen without skull fracture. Radiologically evident brain parenchymal injuries were present in three patients, all with mechanisms of injury involving high levels of force; severe neurological sequelae were only seen in one patient, who had diffuse hypoxic–ischaemic damage at presentation and whose (accidental) mechanism of injury involved extensive acceleration/deceleration/translational forces. Conclusions Skull fractures and focal SDH are relatively common following minor trauma in this age group but in the vast majority of cases there are no long-term neurological sequelae. Conversely, diffuse brain injury with severe subsequent neurological impairment was only seen in patients with a correspondingly severe mechanism of injury.

https://adc.bmj.com/content/archdischild/98/10/787.full.pdf

Patterns of accidental craniocerebral injury occurring in early childhood

OBJECT: Children 0-3 years old present a completely different neurotraumatic pathology. The growing and the development processes in this age group imply specific anatomical and pathophysiological features of the skull, subarachnoid space, CSF flow, and brain. Most common specific neurotraumatic entities in children 0-3 years old are cephalhematoma, subaponeurotic (subgaleal) hematoma, diastatic skull fracture, grow skull fracture, depressed ('ping-pong') skull fracture, and extradural hematoma. METHODS: We present our 10 years experience in neuropediatric traumatic brain injuries, between 1999 and 2009, in the First Department of Neurosurgery and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Including criteria were children, 0-3 years old, presenting only traumatic brain injury. We excluded patients with politrauma, who require a different management. RESULTS: We present the incidence of these specific head injuries, clinical and imagistic features, treatment, and outcome. We found 72 children with diastatic skull fracture, 61 cases with depressed ('ping-pong') skull fracture, 22 cases with grow skull fracture, 11 children harboring intrusive skull fracture, 58 cephalhematomas, 26 extradural hematomas, and 7 children with severe brain injury and major posttraumatic diffuse ischemia ('black-brain'). Usually, infants and toddlers present with seizures, pallor, and rapid loss of consciousness. First choice examination, in all children was cerebral CT-scan, and for follow-up, we performed cerebral MRI. We emphasize on the importance of seizure prevention in this age group. Children presenting with extensive diffuse ischemia ('black-brain') had a poor outcome, death occurring in all 7 cases. CONCLUSION: Children 0-3 years old, present with a total distinctive pathology than adults. Children with head injury must be addressed to a pediatric department of neurosurgery and pediatric intensive care unit. Prophylaxis pays the most important role in improving the outcome. Language: en

Traumatic brain injury in infants and toddlers, 0-3 years old.

AIM We present our experiences in the management of extradural haematoma in children which involved an aggressive diagnostic approach, prompt surgical evacuation results in an excellent outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS 170 EDH patients who underwent surgery in our department from January 2006 to July 2010 included in this prospective study. Each patient evaluated in term of age, sex, mode of injury, localization of haematoma, clinical presentation, CT findings, operative measures and outcome. RESULTS Out of 170 cases 72%, (n=122) were boys and 28 %,( n=48) were girls. The boys to girls ratio was 2.54: 1. Age ranged from 1.8 to 18 years with a mean age of 9.49 years. Most of the victims are in the 11-18 years age group 44% ( n=74). The most common mode of injury was fall 41%, (n = 70) followed by Road traffic Accident (RTA) 32%, (n = 54) .The most common clinical presentation was altered sensorium 61 %, (n= 104), followed by headache and/or vomiting 56 %, (n = 96). The mortality rate was 8%. CONCLUSION EDH is recognized as one of the most rewarding neurosurgical emergencies. It must be diagnosed in the early period of the trauma and evacuated early to prevent potential mortality and morbidity. Different factors affect the outcome of extradural haematoma Surgery including age of the patient, presence of cranial fractures, associated brain lesions and pre-operative neurological condition of patient, duration of time interval between onset of coma and surgical intervention. Better prognosis is seen in patients less than 10 years of age.

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Extradural haematoma in children: surgical experiences and prospective analysis of 170 cases.

Traumatic epidural hematoma (EDH) represents a rare head injury complication in infants. Its diagnosis can be quite challenging because its clinical presentation is usually subtle and nonspecific. In our current communication, we present our data regarding the presentation of infants with EDH, their management, and their long-term outcome. In a retrospective study, the hospital and outpatient clinic charts and imaging studies (head CT and skull X-rays) of 31 infants with pure, supratentorial EDH of traumatic origin were meticulously reviewed. Children Coma Scale score and Trauma Infant Neurologic Score (TINS) were also reviewed. The most common presenting symptom was irritability, which occurred in 18/31 (58.1%) of our patients. Pallor (in 30/31 patients) and cephalhematoma (in 21/31 patients) were the most commonly occurring clinical signs upon admission; both signs represent signs of significant clinical importance. Surgical evacuation via a craniotomy was required in 24/31 of our patients, while 7/31 patients were managed conservatively. The mortality rate in our series was 6.5% (2/31 patients), and our long-term morbidity rate was 3.2% (1/31 patients). EDH in infants represents a life-threatening complication of head injury, which requires early identification and prompt surgical or conservative management depending on the patient’s clinical condition, size of EDH, and presence of midline structure shift on head CT scan. Mortality and long-term morbidity are low with early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Supratentorial epidural hematoma of traumatic etiology in infants.

Diffusion tensor imaging is a MRI technique that enables the measurement of the diffusion of water in tissue in order to produce neural tract images. Advanced methods such as color coding and tractography (fiber tracking) have been used to investigate the directionality. The localization of tumors in relation to the white matter tracts (infiltration, deflection), has been one the most important initial applications. A non invasive technique for assessing tumor tissue characteristics, like tumor cell density, is required to assist preoperative surgical planning for malignant brain tumors and help better deﬁne the target for tumor biopsy, resulting in more accurate diagnosis and grading of malignant brain tumors. One possible source of this information is diffusion tensor imaging. Date studies have focused on its ability to delineate white matter ﬁber tracks by ﬁber tracking and to detect tumor inﬁltration around the tumor and normal white matter interface. Relationships between cell density and the two key values that diffusion tensor imaging provides, fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity, still need to be investigated. Mean diffusivity has a good negative correlation and fractional anisotropy has a good positive correlation with tumor cell density within the tumor core. Similar correlation was observed between the Ki–67, on the one hand and fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity, on the other hand. Thus, measurement of both fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity within the tumor core has a potential to provide detailed information on tumor cell density within the tumor.

Abbreviations: DTI - diffusion tensor imaging, FA - fractional anisotropy, MD - mean diffusivity, WM - white matter

New application of diffusion tensor imaging in neurosurgery.

EDH in infants represents a life–threatening complication of head injury, which requires early identification and prompt surgical or conservative management depending on the patient's clinical condition, the size of EDH, and the presence of a midline structure shift on the head's CT scan.

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Papers

Supratentorial epidural hematoma of traumatic etiology in infants.

Traumatic brain injury in infants and toddlers, 0-3 years old.

New application of diffusion tensor imaging in neurosurgery.

A life threatening problem in infants: supratentorial epidural hematoma