Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Traumatic Intracranial Hematomas in Young Children

Objective: To improve the treatment of young children with traumatic intracranial hematomas by improving the diagnosis and use of minimally invasive surgical methods based on calculations of the intracranial hematoma volume index (VICH). Subjects and Methods: An analysis of the clinical course as well as the surgical treatment of 111 patients was carried out. The patients were under the age of 3, with severe traumatic brain injury, and formation of intracranial hematomas. The children were treated at the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery of the City Children’s Clinical Hospital No.3 in Omsk, Russia, from 2008 to 2018. Three groups were identified: Group A - children with epidural hematomas (n=30), Group B - children with subdural hematomas (n=43), Group C - children with multiple hematomas (n=38). The volume index of intracranial hematomas (VICH) was calculated, and the surgical tactics were determined based on the value of the VICH. Results: Children with a VICH less than 2% received conservative treatments. Those with a VICH from 2 to 4% were treated with minimally invasive methods (puncture, drainage). Children with VICH above 4% underwent decompressive surgery. Conclusion: The effectiveness of the developed differentiated tactics of treatment of young children with traumatic intracranial hematomas (ICH) is characterized by a decrease in the risk of an unfavourable outcome by 74.2% and mortality by 1.2%.