Intracranial subdural empyema mimicking a recurrent chronic subdural hematoma

Ninh Doan; Mohit Patel; Ha Son Nguyen; Andrew Mountoure; Saman Shabani; Michael Gelsomino; Karl Janich; Shekar Kurpad

doi:10.1093/jscr/rjw158

Intracranial subdural empyema mimicking a recurrent chronic subdural hematoma

J Surg Case Rep. 2016 Sep 20;2016(9):rjw158. doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjw158.

Authors

Ninh Doan¹, Mohit Patel², Ha Son Nguyen², Andrew Mountoure², Saman Shabani², Michael Gelsomino², Karl Janich², Shekar Kurpad²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA ndoan@mcw.edu.
² Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.

Abstract

Intracranial subdural empyema (ISDE) is a life-threatening condition. The risk for ISDE increases in patients that have undergone prior intracranial procedures. The non-specificity in its clinical presentation often makes ISDE difficult to diagnose. Here, we present a rare case of ISDE mimicking a recurrent chronic subdural hematoma, emphasizing the significance of obtaining early magnetic resonance images of the brain for early diagnosis and treatment to achieve the optimal outcome.

Publication types

Case Reports