Acute subdural hematoma was studied clinicallly in 62 cases, with special reference to the prognostic factor and the complicated brain injuries seen on the initial CT.
Furthermore, serum fibrin and fibrinogen degradation products (FD P) in acute stage were measured in 19 cases and their significance was discussed.
Though the prognosis proved to correlate with the complicated brain injuries and to be very poor, it was suspected that it varied according to some basic pathophysiology in acute subdural hematoma, that is, the location and the degree of brain tissue injuries and associated edema or brain swelling.
Since the initia l CT does not necessarily mirror the whole brain tissue damages or their pathophysiology in acute subdural hematoma, a quantitative study of the brain injuries becomes more significant.
The measurement of serum FDP in the present series showed a good correlation with the prognosis and, also, it was suggested that serum FDP would possibly reflect the degree of the brain tissue injuries (both of primary and secondary injuries). Thus, measurement of serum FDP may be of much value as an aid for analytical study of the clinical state and the quantitative evaluation of brain tissue injuries in acute subdural hematoma.