
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Subdural hematoma classification
Introduction
Overview
Overview
There are 3 classification system for subdural hematoma. Subdural hematoma may be classified according to symptom onset and duration into 3 subtypes including acute, subacute, and chronic, according to midline shift and thickness into 4 subtypes, and based on imaging findings into 6 subtypes.
Classification
Classification
There are 3 classification system for subdural hematoma:[1][2]
- Subdural hematoma may be classified according to symptom onset and duration into 3 subtypes:
- Acute: Develop less than 24 hours after head trauma (or other subdural hemorrhage causes)
- Subacute: Develop between 1 to 10 days after head trauma (or other subdural hemorrhage causes)
- Chronic: Develop weeks or months after head trauma (or other subdural hemorrhage causes). It can be further divided into 5 grads:
- Grade 0: Normal patient with no symptom
- Grade 1: Patient has headache and mild or no neurological abnormalities but is alert
- Grade 2: Decreased level of consciousness (drowsiness) with neurological abnormalities
- Grade 3: Sever focal neurological deficit and loss of consciousness but response to pain stimuli
- Grade 4: Coma with no response to pain stimuli
- Subdural hematoma may be classified according to mid-line shift and thickness into 4 sub-types:
- Type A: Thickness ≤ 1cm, midline shift ≤ 5 cm
- Type B: Thickness > 1cm, midline shift ≤ 5 cm
- Type C: Thickness > 1cm, midline shift > 5 cm
- Type D: Thickness ≤ 1cm, midline shift > 5 cm
- Subdural hematoma may be classified according to imaging findings into 6 subtypes:
- Type 1: Hyperdense lesion, relatively homogeneous (describes acute subdural hemorrhages)
- Type 2: Isodense lesion, relatively homogeneous (describes subacute hemorrhages)
- Type 3: Hypodense, relatively homogeneous (describes chronic hemorrhages)
- Type 4: Isodense to hypodense, relatively heterogeneous (describes recent rebleeding)
- Type 5: Hypodense in its liquefied component, relatively heterogeneous; internal septations and loculations (higher risk for recurrence after surgical treatment)
- Type 6: Calcified hyperdense, relatively homogeneous (describes subdural hemorrhage with calcified component)
References
References
- ↑ Alves JL, Santiago JG, Costa G, Mota Pinto A (September 2016). “A Standardized Classification for Subdural Hematomas- I”. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 37 (3): 174–8. doi:10.1097/PAF.0000000000000255. PMID 27428027.
- ↑ Salahuddin T (February 1996). “Management of chronic subdural haematoma–a review of 23 cases”. J Pak Med Assoc. 46 (2): 32–3. PMID 8683845.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Fahimeh Shojaei, M.D.
