Epidural hemorrhage

Background

• Due to trauma to temporoparietal area w/ associated skull fx and meningeal artery damage
• Classic presentation of LOC > lucid interval > LOC only occurs in 20%
• Injury to brain is often absent so good recovery if hematoma evacuated in time

Workup

Workup

• Consider head CT (rule out intracranial hemorrhage)
  • Use validated decision rule to determine need
  • Avoid CT in patients with minor head injury who are at low risk based on validated decision rules.
• Consider cervical and/or facial CT

Differential Diagnosis

Intracranial Hemorrhage Types

• Intra-axial
  • Hemorrhagic stroke (Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage)
  • Traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage
• Extra-axial
  • Epidural hemorrhage
  • Subdural hemorrhage
  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage (aneurysmal intracranial hemorrhage)

Management

• Emergent neurosurgery

See Also

• Intracranial Hemorrhage (Main)
• Head Trauma