Rapid spontaneous resolution of acute subdural haematoma in a patient with chronic alcoholism

Abstract

Acute subdural haematoma (ASDH) constitutes one of the most critical emergencies in neurosurgery. There are only several reports that show the rapid disappearance of ASDH without surgical intervention. We report a case of a 64-year-old alcoholic man who had a traumatic subdural haematoma after a fall from a height of about eight meters on level ground. The computed tomography (CT) of the brain on admission demonstrated a left parietooccipital ASDH. A follow-up CT scan after 8 hours showed resolution of the hematoma. The patient was discharged 9 days later with no neurological deficit. We discuss the possible mechanisms of the rapid resolution of the ASDH.

Keywords::

• subdural haematoma
• spontaneous resolution
• alcoholism
• CT scan

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interests and the authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.