Extra-Dural haemorrhage Flashcards
What is an extra-dural haemorrhage?
Collection of blood that is between the skull and the dura.
What is an extra-dural haemorrhage caused by?
Trauma e.g. a blow to the head or a fall
Where does the blood collect with an extra-dural haemorrhage?
In the temporal region since the thin skull at the pterion overlies the middle meningeal artery and is therefore vulnerable to injury.
Why does blood collect in the temporal region with an extra-dural haemorrhage?
The thin skull at the pterion overlies the middle meningeal artery and is therefore vulnerable to injury.
How does an extra-dural haemorrhage present?
Improved neurological symptoms- lucid interval
Followed by rapid decline due to expanding haematoma and brain herniation
How would you diagnose an extra-dural haemorrhage?
CT scan
What would you see on a CT scan of an extra-dural haemorrhage?
Biconvex (or lentiform), hyperdense collection around the surface of the brain.
They are limited by the suture lines of the skull
Looks like a lemon
Is an extra-dural haemorrhage limited by suture lines?
Yes
What is a contraindication of an extra-dural haemorrhage?
Lumbar puncture
What blood vessel is usually affected in someone with an extradural haemorrhage?
Middle meningeal artery
