Subdural hygroma is defined as a collection of cerebrospinal fluid located under the dural membrane without blood. It is most commonly caused by trauma and presents with headaches, nausea, vomiting, or neurological deficits in adults. While often asymptomatic, it can cause mass effect and become life-threatening. Brain CT scan is used for diagnosis. Treatment involves conservative management or surgery if mass effect or unfavorable symptoms are present.

1. A D E W I J A Y A , M D – O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0
Subdural Hygroma

2. Outline:
 History
 Definition
 Etiology
 Clinical Presentation
 Treatment
 Summary

3. History
1819
Pott
1916
Payr
(4 cases)
“meningitis
serosa
traumatica”
The term
subdural
hygroma
(SDHy)
was first
introduced
in 1934 by
Dandy
Dandy, W. (1932) Chronic Subdural Hygroma and Serous Meningitis (Pachyme-ningitis Serosa: Localized External Hydrocephalus). In: Lewis, D., Ed., Practice of Surgery, WF
Prior Co., Hagerstown, 306-309
Pott, P. (1819) The Surgical Works of Percivall Pott ... Occasional Notes and Ob-servations by Sir James Earle. J. Webster, Philadelphia, 159-160.
Payr, E. (1916) Meningitis Serose during and after Skull Injuries (Traumatica). Me-dizinische Klinik, 12, 841-846.

4. Definition
A collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), without
blood, located under the dural membrane.
Almenzalawy, M. A., Abd Elhakeem, A. E., & Ragab, M. H. (2019). Subdural Hygroma: Different Treatment Modalities and Clinical Outcome. Open Journal of Modern
Neurosurgery, 9(03), 208.

5. Etiology
 Trauma (in adults; most common)
 Infection (in children)
 Rupture of arachnoid cyst (spontaneous)
 Post operative (decompressive craniectomy,
cranioplasty or shunt installation)
Almenzalawy, M. A., Abd Elhakeem, A. E., & Ragab, M. H. (2019). Subdural Hygroma: Different Treatment Modalities and Clinical Outcome. Open Journal of Modern
Neurosurgery, 9(03), 208.

6. Clinical Presentation
 Mostly asymptomatic
 Headaches
 Changes in mental status
 Nausea and vomiting
 Focal Neurological deficits
 Seizures
 Sometimes, it may cause mass effect and become a
life-threatening condition
Diagnosis tool : brain CT scan
Lee, K.S. (1998) The Pathogenesis and Clinical Significance of Traumatic Subdural Hygroma. Brain Injury, 12, 595-603.
Ortiz-Prado, E., Acosta Castillo, T., Lopez, O.M., et al. (2016) Post-Traumatic Sub-dural Hygroma: A One Year Follow up Case Report and Literature Review. Global
Journal of Health Science, 8, 239-247.

7. Treatment
 Conservative
 Surgery (mass effect; unfavorable symptoms)

8. Summary
 A collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), without
blood, located under the dural membrane
 Most common cause: traumatic
 Mostly asymptomatic
 Diagnostic tool : brain CT scan
 Management: conservative or surgery (mass effect,
loss of consciousness, unfavorable symptoms)

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