Remote hemorrhage after burr-hole surgery for chronic subdural hematoma: A report of two cases

BACKGROUND: The standard neurosurgical procedure for chronic subdural hematoma is a burr-hole surgery. Postoperative hemorrhage is one of the complications after burr-hole surgery. The hemorrhage generally occurs at the surgical site; however, remote hemorrhage is rare. Here, we report two cases of remote hemorrhage after burr-hole surgery for chronic subdural hematoma and discuss the possible mechanism underlying this rare complication. CASE DESCRIPTION: Two patients presented remote hemorrhages after burrhole surgery for chronic subdural hematoma. In the first case, hemorrhage occurred in the interhemispheric fissure and contralateral subdural space. In the second case, hemorrhage occurred in the subdural space of the posterior fossa. CONCLUSION: Postoperative remote hemorrhage is a rare complication, and it can occur after both craniotomy surgery and burr-hole surgery. Neurosurgeons should consider the possibility of this rare complication, and sufficient care should be taken to select the most appropriate surgical procedure to prevent remote hemorrhage.