OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to determine the population-based epidemiology of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) over a 26-year period.METHODSA retrospective study was conducted of all adult patients (≥ 18 years and residents of Pirkanmaa [Finland]) with a diagnosis of CSDH between 1990 and 2015. The cases were identified using ICD codes. Detailed data collection was performed using medical records and death certificates. All patients were monitored until death or the end of year 2017. The annual number of inhabitants in the Pirkanmaa region was obtained from Statistics Finland (Helsinki, Finland).RESULTSA total of 1168 patients with CSDH were identified from hospital records and death certificates; patients were considered as new-incidence cases if 2 years had elapsed following primary treatment and in cases involving a new contralateral CSDH. From 1990 to 2015, the overall incidence of CSDH doubled from 8.2 to 17.6/100,000/year. Among adults younger than 70 years, the incidence remained quite stable, whereas the incidence clearly increased among the ≥ 80-year-old population, from 46.9 to 129.5/100,000/year. The median age for a CSDH diagnosis increased from 73 to 79 years during the 26-year period. Head trauma was documented in 59% of cases. A ground-level fall was related to the CSDH in 31% of patients younger than 60 years and in 54% of those 80 years or older. The proportion of alcohol-related cases decreased toward the end of the study period (1990–1995: 16% and 2011–2015: 7%), because alcohol abuse was less frequent among the growing group of elderly patients. In contrast, the percentage of patients receiving anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication almost doubled toward 2015 (1990–1995, 27%; and 2011–2015, 49%). The patients’ neurological condition on admission, based on both Glasgow Coma Scale score (score < 13: 1990–1995, 18%; and 2011–2015, 7%; p < 0.001) and the modified Rankin Scale score (score 0–2: 1990–1995, 8%; and 2011–2015, 19%; p < 0.001), was better in recent years than in the early 1990s.CONCLUSIONSFrom 1990 to 2015, the incidence of CSDH has increased markedly. The incidence of CSDH among the population 80 years or older has nearly tripled since 1990. The use of anticoagulants has increased, but there has been no change regarding the ratio between a traumatic and a spontaneous CSDH etiology. As the world population becomes progressively older, the increasing incidence of CSDH will be a burden to patients and a future challenge for neurosurgical clinics.

The prognostic power of three proliferation estimation methods, Ki-67 (MIB-1) and PCNA immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry (S-phase and S + G2/M fractions, respectively), were evaluated in 50 cases of astrocytoma. Each proliferation index showed a strong association with the grade of malignancy (grades I-IV). The MIB-1 labelling index (LI) provided additional information, as it could be used for the discrimination of grade II and grade III astrocytomas (P = 0.0357). All three proliferation estimation methods also had strong prognostic potential (MIB-1 LI: P < 0.0001; PCNA Li: P < 0.0001; S-phase: P = 0.0004; S + G2/M: P = 0.0124). According to the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, the MIB-1 LI showed generally the best sensitivity and specificity in placing the patients correctly into groups of survivors and non-survivors, which was further confirmed in the multivariate analysis. Only 4 per cent of the patients having high MIB-1 scores (> 15.3 per cent) were alive after 2-years' follow-up. In contrast, 72 per cent of patients with tumours of low proliferation activity survived. It appears that Ki-67 (MIB-1) immunolabelling using archival paraffin-embedded samples is of value in predicting prognosis in astrocytic tumours.

Objective To examine the population-based incidence, complications, and total, direct hospital costs of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) treatment in a neurosurgical clinic during a 26-year period. The aim was also to estimate the necessity of planned postoperative follow-up computed tomography (CT). Methods A retrospective cohort (1990-2015) of adult patients living in Pirkanmaa, Finland, with a CSDH was identified using ICD codes and verified by medical records (n = 1148, median age = 76 years, men = 65%). Data collection was performed from medical records. To estimate the total, direct hospital costs, all costs from hospital admission until the last neurosurgical followup visit were calculated. All patients were followed until death or the end of 2017. The annual number of inhabitants in the Pirkanmaa Region was obtained from the Statistics Finland (Helsinki, Finland). Results The incidence of CSDH among the population 80 years or older has increased among both operatively (from 36.6 to 91/ 100,000/year) and non-operatively (from 4.7 to 36.9/100,000/year) treated cases. Eighty-five percent (n = 978) underwent surgery. Routine 4-6 weeks' postoperative follow-up CT increased the number of re-operations by 18% (n = 49). Most of the re-operations (92%) took place within 2 months from the primary operation. Patients undergoing re-operations suffered more often from seizures (10%, n = 28 vs 3.9%, n = 27; p < 0.001), empyema (4.3%, n = 12 vs 1.1%, n = 8; p = 0.002), and pneumonia (4.7%, n = 13 vs 1.4%, n = 12; p = 0.008) compared with patients with no recurrence. The treatment cost for recurrent CSDHs was 132% higher than the treatment cost of non-recurrent CSDHs, most likely because of longer hospital stay for re-admissions and more frequent outpatient follow-up with CT. The oldest group of patients, 80 years or older, was not more expensive than the others, nor did this group have more frequent complications, besides pneumonia. Conclusions Based on our population-based study, the number of CSDH patients has increased markedly during the study period (1990-2015). Reducing recurrences is crucial for reducing both complications and costs. Greater age was not associated with greater hospital costs related to CSDH. A 2-month follow-up period after CSDH seems sufficient for most, and CT controls are advocated only for symptomatic patients.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the applicability of quantitative histopathology as an aid for grading diffusely infiltrating astrocytomas. Primary astrocytomas were analysed for parameters (mean nuclear size, mitosis count, area fraction of endothelial cells and tumour necrosis, area fraction of nuclei, and Ki-67 (MIB-1) labelling index), which are closely related to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1979 and WHO 1993 grading criteria. All estimates correlated with the WHO histopathological grade and patient outcome. According to the receiver-operating characteristics curve, the presence of tumour necrosis and mitosis count (cut-off at 3 mitoses/mm2 of neoplastic tissue) showed the best sensitivity and specificity in separating patients with different survival. The multivariate survival analyses confirmed this result. A decision-tree model was constructed based on these two variables: twig I with less than 3 mitoses/mm2, twig II with equal or more than 3 mitoses/mm2 but no necrosis, and twig III with tumour necrosis. This model was found to be more strongly associated with survival than the WHO 1979 or WHO 1993 grading schemes. Low-malignancy astrocytomas (WHO grade II or twig I tumours) could be further divided into two prognostic categories by the image cytometric DNA analysis. The results put an emphasis on astrocytoma grading on mitosis counts (grade II vs. III) and tumour necrosis (grade III vs. IV). To standardize the sampling for mitosis counting, it is suggested that a parallel Ki-67 immunostaining be used for the identification of the most proliferative areas.

Objective To assess possible long-term excess mortality and causes of death of patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). Methods A retrospective study (1990-2015) of adult patients (n = 1133, median age = 76 years old, men = 65%) with CSDH identified by ICD-codes and verified by medical records. All patients were followed until death or the end of 2017. Cumulative relative survival ratios and relative excess risks of death (RER) were estimated by comparing patients' mortality with that in the entire regional matched population. The causes of death were compared with a separate reference group formed by randomly choosing sex, age, and calendar time matched controls (4 controls per each CSDH patient). Results The median follow-up time was 4.8 years (range = 0-27 years), and 710 (63%) of the patients died (median age at death = 84 years old). The cumulative excess mortality was 1 year = 9%, 5 years = 18%, 10 years = 27%, 15 years = 37%, and 20 years = 48%. A subgroup of CSDH patients (n = 206) with no comorbidity had no excess mortality. Excess mortality was related to poor modified Rankin score at admission (RER = 4.93) and at discharge (RER = 8.31), alcohol abuse (RER = 4.47), warfarin (RER = 2.94), age ≥ 80 years old (RER = 1.83), non-operative treatment (RER = 1.56), and non-traumatic etiology (RER = 1.69). Hematoma characteristics or recurrence were unrelated to excess mortality. Dementia was the most common cause of death among the CSDH patients (21%) and the third most common cause in the reference group (15%, p < 0.001). Conclusions Patients with CSDH have continuous excess mortality up to 20 years after diagnosis. Patient-related characteristics have a strong association with excess mortality, whereas specific CSDH-related findings do not. CSDH patients have an increased risk for dementia-related mortality.

Objectives: Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is reported to actuate blood coagulation. Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) is a dynamic haemostatic test that can differentiate various coagulation abnormalities, for example, increased coagulation activity can be detected as a wider amplitude of tracing (maximal clot firmness [MCF]). Previously, ROTEM has not been used to evaluate coagulation changes after aSAH. The aim of this prospective, observational study was to evaluate the ongoing coagulation process in patients with aSAH by comparing their ROTEM assay results to the control values obtained from patients undergoing clipping of non-ruptured aneurysms. Methods: ROTEM analyses were performed at 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after onset of aSAH and were compared with preoperative analyses of the control group. In total, 17 aSAH treated in the intensive care unit and 16 control patients were enrolled. Results: At 72 hours, EXTEM-MCF was significantly higher in aSAH patients compared with the baseline value of the control group (68.0 mm [interquartile range, {IQR} 66.0-71.0 mm] vs. 64.5 mm [IQR, 59.5-66.8 mm]; P = 0.024). This was mainly due to increased fibrin formation and fibrin polymerisation as the same comparison in FIBTEM-MCF analysis yielded similar results (23.0 mm [IQR, 19.0-25.0 mm] vs. 15.4 mm [IQR, 12.5-17.8 mm], respectively; P=0.001). Conclusions: Blood coagulation is activated at 72 hours after onset of aSAH, which can be detected by ROTEM EXTEM-MCF analysis. At the same time, FIBTEM-MCF was elevated, implying that relative contribution of fibrin formation and fibrin polymerisation are essential.

Twenty-four Finnish families with 2 or more glioma patients were identified through questionnaires sent to 369 consecutive glioma patients receiving surgery at Tampere University Hospital during 1983-94. To explore whether unusual cancer susceptibility is involved, the cancer risk of 2,664 family members was estimated using population-based data from the Finnish Cancer Registry. Among the total cohort of relatives, 88 cancers were observed during 1953-97. The overall cancer risk among 12 families with juvenile onset gliomas was significantly decreased (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] 0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.4 -0.9). Among 12 families with adult onset gliomas, the overall cancer risk was equal to that of the reference population (SIR 1.1, 95% CI: 0.8 -1.4) whereas the risk of skin melanoma (SIR 4.0, 95% CI: 1.5-8.8) and meningioma (SIR 5.5, 95% CI: 1.1-16) were significantly increased. Several other tumors, including those associated with neurofibromatosis 1 and 2, tuberous sclerosis and Li-Fraumeni and Turcot syndromes were surveyed, but no elevated risks were observed. In conclusion, the presence of meningiomas and skin melanomas in glioma families may indicate a novel association as a cancer susceptibility trait.

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