Acute traumatic posterior fossa subdural hematoma: A case report

Abstract

Background: Acute traumatic posterior fossa subdural hematomas are rare lesions in adult. Data on its physiopathology are limited. Timely surgical evacuation is the mainstay of treatment, particularly in selected cases with large volume hematomas compressing the posterior fossa neural elements. The outcome is generally poor and the overall mortality rate is high. The outcome depends on the clinical status of the patient and the timing of surgery. Results: We report a case of a 22-years old patient admitted after a severe traumatic brain injury, with a Glasgow coma scale (GCS) of 12. The CT scan showed a right acute subdural hematoma of the cerebellar hemisphere, extending to right the cerebellar pontine angle (CPA) with compression of the posterior fossa neural elements. The patient had surgery within four hours from the trauma with a good recovery. Conclusion: Despite the high rate of mortality related to posterior fossa subdural hematomas, our case report and literature analysis highlight the importance of early surgical management in ensuring a better clinical outcome.

Keywords

• Subdural
• Hematoma
• Posterior fossa
• Cerebellopontine angle