Chronic subdural hematoma - diagnosis, treatment and perspectives

Abstract

Introduction. Chronic subdural hematoma has become an important entity in radiological, neurological and neurosurgery practice. Classification. The classification of chronic subdural hematoma is most often done in relation to the time of the disease onset (acute, subacute and chronic), whereas the second classification is based on hematoma density using computed tomography. Clinical presentation. The clinical presentation may mimic a spectrum of various diseases and chronic subdural hematoma can be easily overlooked without radiological verification. Diagnosis. The diagnosis of chronic subdural hematoma is partly clinical and partly radiological. In most cases, computed tomography is the initial diagnostic method for detection of this disease. Many studies point to different management strategies in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Therapy. The therapy of chronic subdural hematoma depends on the patient?s neurological deficit, but generally it is divided into conservative and surgical treatment. Conclusion. The aim of this paper is to review chronic subdural hematomas with reference to their clinical and radiological characteristics for better understanding of these phenomena.