Decompressive Craniectomy in the Management of Low Glasgow Coma Score Patients With Extradural Hematoma: A Review of Literature and Guidelines

An extradural hematoma (EDH), also known as an epidural hematoma, is a collection of blood between the inner skull table and the dura mater. It is restricted by the coronal, lambdoid, and sagittal sutures, as these are dural insertions. EDH most frequently occurs in 10- to 40-year-old patients. EDH is uncommon after age 60, as dura matter adheres firmly to the inner skull table. EDH is more common among men as compared to women. EDH most commonly occurs in the temporo-frontal regions and can also be seen in the parieto-occipital, parasagittal regions, and middle and posterior fossae. An EDH contributes approximately 2% of total head injuries and 15% of total fatal head injuries. In EDH, patients typically have a persistent, severe headache, and also, following a few hours of injury, they gradually lose consciousness. The primary bleeding vessels for EDH are the middle meningeal artery, middle meningeal vein, and torn dural venous sinuses. EDH is one of the many consequences of severe traumatic brain injuries that might lead to death. EDH is potentially a lethal condition that requires immediate intervention as, if left untreated, it can lead to growing transtentorial herniation, diminished consciousness, dilated pupils, and other neurological problems. Non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) imaging is the gold standard of investigation for diagnosing EDH. For patients with surgical indications, early craniotomy and evacuation of acute extradural hematoma (AEDH) is the gold standard procedure and is predicted to have significant clinical results. Nevertheless, there is an ongoing debate regarding the best surgical operations for AEDH. Neurosurgeons must choose between a decompressive craniectomy (DC) or a craniotomy to manage EDH, especially in patients with low Glasgow coma scores, to have a better prognosis and clinical results. This is a consultant-based review article in which we have tried to contemplate various pieces of available literature. Here, the objective is to hypothesize DC as the primary surgical management for massive hematoma, which usually presents as a low Glasgow coma score. This is because DC was found to be beneficial in clinical practice.