A retrospective review of 373 adult patients admitted to Harbor General Hospital between 1980 and 1984 for minor closed head injury (Glasgow coma scale 13-15) was performed to determine the benefits of skull radiography, computed tomographic (CT) scanning of the head, and admission for observation. Variables reviewed were mental status, neurological examination, presence or absence of loss of consciousness, clinical evidence of basilar skull fracture, and fracture on skull radiography. The neurological examination (including mental status and Glasgow coma scale) in the emergency room was the best predictor of subsequent deterioration or the presence of an operative hematoma. The only patients with Glasgow coma scale scores of 15 who required surgical evacuation of an extraaxial hematoma had focal neurological deficits referable to hemispheric compression, with or without an abnormal mental status. A Glasgow coma scale score of 13 or 14 places the patient at risk either of having a hematoma requiring surgery or of deteriorating. We recommend that a head CT scan be obtained on all patients with Glasgow coma scale scores of less than 15, abnormal mental status, or hemispheric neurological deficits. If no operative lesion is found on the CT scan, the patient should be admitted for observation because there is still a risk of deterioration. Those with a Glasgow coma scale score of 15, a normal mental status, and no hemispheric neurological deficit may be discharged to be observed at home by a competent observer despite basilar or calvarial skull fracture, loss of consciousness, or cranial nerve deficit. No benefit was gained from skull radiography in any group.

Intraoperative development of an epidural hematoma contralateral to a craniotomy for acute traumatic extraaxial hematoma has been previously reported. This entity, however, has never been distinctly defined and differentiated from either the delayed or the bilateral acute epidural hematoma. We present 3 new cases of intraoperative contralateral acute epidural hematoma and review the 14 previously reported cases. The typical clinical presentation is a severe head injury with an acute extraaxial hematoma and severe ipsilateral brain displacement during craniotomy. If brain displacement is not noted at craniotomy, then the contralateral hematoma is manifested by immediate postoperative neurological deterioration or intractable elevated intracranial pressure. The presence of any of these signs makes an immediate postoperative CT scan or burr holes contralateral to the original craniotomy mandatory for early diagnosis. In addition to defining "intraoperative contralateral epidural hematoma," stricter definitions of the terms "delayed epidural hematoma" (no hematoma present on the initial CT scan but one present on a later scan) and "bilateral epidural hematomas" (present on the initial scan) are proposed.

The hospital records of 78 patients who underwent surgical therapy for fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) between 1964 and 1984 are summarized. Nine different fungal types were identified, but Coccidioides immitis and Cryptococcus neoformans accounted for most (67.1%) of the infections. A variety of clinical syndromes were seen, including chronic basal meningitis (45 patients), intracranial mass lesions (12 patients), and communicating hydrocephalus (six patients). Thirteen patients had rhinocerebral forms of fungal infection, and two presented with spinal involvement. Delays in diagnosis were frequent and ranged from 2 months to 11 years. In 31 patients the CNS lesion was the first indication of a fungal infection, and lesion biopsy or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination confirmed the diagnosis. A total of 144 surgical procedures were carried out, including lesion biopsy or excision in 13 patients, primary CSF shunting in 22, and placement of an Ommaya reservoir for administration of intraventricular or intracisternal antifungal agents in 48. All patients received parenteral and, in some cases, intrathecal or oral antifungal chemotherapy in addition to surgical therapy. Overall mortality was 43.6% (34 deaths). With prompt diagnosis and treatment, the mortality rate was 39% whereas, when appropriate treatment was delayed, the mortality rate was 64%. An additional 14 surviving patients (17.9%) exhibited permanent morbidity due to neurological deficits, seizure disorders, or renal toxicity following treatment with amphotericin B. The combined mortality and morbidity rate was 62.8%. Clinical symptoms were resolved completely in 29 patients, although in 10 evidence of disease persisted and chemotherapy was continued. Fungal infections of the CNS are being recognized with increased frequency. It is suggested that a high index of suspicion, aggressive attempts to obtain a diagnosis, and early and vigorous therapy may reduce the unfortunate outcome seen in a relatively high proportion of patients with CNS fungal infections.