Although this is not always the case, head injuries like concussions can be extremely serious and frightening. Head trauma from playing sports, taking a serious fall, or experiencing an automobile accident can potentially lead to the rupturing of a blood vessel in the brain and result in brain bleeding. This collection of blood within the skull is known as an intracranial hematoma. In some cases, a hematoma may develop and progressively get worse over the course of weeks. In other cases, the hematoma can expand rapidly and present an emergent, life-threatening condition. Our board-certified neurosurgeons wanted to focus on two different kinds of intracranial hematomas, epidural and subdural, to help our readers better understand these conditions.
 
Our brains are covered by 3 layers of membrane (known medically as meninges), which effectively provide coating to the brain. Closest to the brain lies the pia mater. Beyond that lies the arachnoid mater. Lastly there is the dura mater which is a big fibrous material that covers the brain and tightly adheres to the skull. Both epidural and subdural hematomas involve bleeding outside of the brain and either outside or inside of the dura mater.
 
An epidural hematoma occurs when there is bleeding inside the skull but outside the dura membrane. Patients with an epidural hematoma can remain conscious with minimal symptoms, can become drowsy, or can progress to a coma immediately following their injury based on the size of the hematoma. A subdural hematoma occurs when the bleeding exists inside the dura, but still outside the brain. Subdural hematomas can either be acute, occurring and being detected soon after the trauma, subacute (symptoms develop in the days/weeks following injury), or chronic (symptoms occurring weeks to months after the time of injury).

In any case, the bleeding caused by an intracranial hematoma can form a mass that presses on the brain tissue and leads to a wide variety of potentially dangerous symptoms. These symptoms may include headaches, seizures, nausea, vomiting, physical weakness, difficulty with speech, changes in vision, and more.

Hematomas are diagnosed with either a CT scan or MRI of the brain. In the case a hematoma is detected, it is imperative to obtain an urgent evaluation with a neurosurgeon immediately to prevent worsening symptoms or even death. In some cases, a small epidural or subdural hematoma may resolve itself naturally over time. However, many patients require brain surgery to remove the hematoma.


The neurosurgeons here at Georgia Brain & Spine Center have considerable experience diagnosing, treating, and caring for patients who experience an intracranial hematoma or any other serious brain condition. If you would like more information on the brain conditions that we treat, or if you would like a second opinion on a previous diagnosis, please contact Georgia Brain & Spine at 1 (800) GO-SPINE to schedule a consultation today with Dr. Elias Dagnew or Dr. Michael Hartman. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news, practice updates, blog posts, and more.