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Decompressive craniectomy (crani-+ -ectomy) is a neurosurgical procedure in which part of the skull is removed to allow a swelling or herniating brain room to expand without being squeezed. It is performed on victims of traumatic brain injury, stroke, Chiari malformation, and other conditions associated with raised intracranial pressure. Use of ...
Cerebral edema is commonly seen in a variety of brain injuries including ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, subdural, epidural, or intracerebral hematoma, hydrocephalus, brain cancer, brain infections, low blood sodium levels, high altitude, and acute liver failure.
Injury to the brain will often result in brain swelling. As the brain is encased in the skull, limited swelling can be accommodated until the brain is no longer able to maintain normal function. There are two potential negative consequences from this swelling: ischemia due to compression of the brain tissue resulting in lack of blood and oxygen ...
Immediate surgery may be indicated when there is a midline shift of over 5 mm. [3] [4] The sign can be caused by conditions including traumatic brain injury, [1] stroke, hematoma, or birth deformity that leads to a raised intracranial pressure.
A catheter can be surgically inserted into one of the brain's lateral ventricles and can be used to drain CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) in order to decrease ICPs. This type of drain is known as an external ventricular drain (EVD). [10] This is rarely required outside brain injury and brain surgery settings. [citation needed]
A non-contrast CT of the head should be performed immediately in all those who have sustained a moderate or severe head injury. A CT is an imaging technique that allows physicians to see inside the head without surgery in order to determine if there is internal bleeding or swelling in the brain. [31]
The interior of the skull has sharp ridges by which a moving brain can be injured. The most common cause of intracranial epidural hematoma is head injury, although spontaneous hemorrhages have been known to occur. Epidural hematomas occur in about 10% of traumatic brain injuries, mostly due to car accidents, assaults, or falls. [3]
Symptoms of chronic subdural hematomas are usually delayed more than three weeks after injury. [1] If the bleeds are large enough to put pressure on the brain, signs of increased intracranial pressure or brain damage will be present. [3] Other symptoms of subdural hematoma can include any combination of the following: [7]