COMPUTER TOMOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF THE PREOPERATIVE AND POSTOPERATIVEVENTRICLE WIDTH IN PATIENTS WITH TRAUMATIC INTRACRANIAL HEMATOMAS

The cellular integrity of the brain tissue is not only disturbed by sp ace occupying traumatic intracranial haematomas but also by traumatic brain tissue damage and the accompanying oedema. Due to the insufficie ncy of visual inspection, methods for an objective quantification of t he ventride width are required. A number of techniques have been used for evaluation of the CSF-space after cerebral trauma. In the present study changes of the ventricle size have been evaluated by using plani metric measurements of CT scans. In 222 patients with traumatic intrac ranial haematomas significant changes in the ventricle width could be demonstrated when the data were analysed by Wilcoxon signed rank test for pair differences. Comparison of the initial cranial computed tomog raphy (CT) with a CT 14 days later revealed a significant dilatation o f the ventricle width in all age groups in the second measurement. Whe n patients were divided into groups with or without signs and symptoms of brainstem alteration after trauma, patients with symptoms of brain stem alteration exhibited a significantly greater ventricle width as c ompared to patients without such symptoms and signs.