Chronic subdural hematoma fluid and its computerized tomographic density

Laboratory and in vivo CT analysis were performed on 19 chronic subdural hematomas and five subdural hygromas. In these 25 hematoma samples, red blood cells (RBC), hematocrit, and hemoglobin (Hgb) varied greatly, though, these values correlated well with the CT densities. Plasma protein content was fairly constant with an average of 7.1+-0.8g/dl. There were four hematoma samples with RBC of less than 20x104μl or Hgb of less than 2.0g/dl. Their CT values ranged between 18 and 23 H.U., which were considered close to the in vivo serum level CT density. Five hygroma fluid showed no RBC and very little protein content of less than 0.4g/dl. CT density ranged between -2 and 13 H.U. The edge effect of the skull was experimentally studied using a phantom skull filled with water. This revealed a remarkable overshoot of the CT values within ten pixels from the inner wall of the skull. Visual observation of the original CT pictures revealed four low density hematomas and seven mixed density ones. When compared to the density of the ventricular cavity, all of the low density hematomas and the supernatant part of the mixed density ones were clearly higher in density. All five hygromas appeared CSF dense or lower. In conclusion, because of the edge effect by the skull, thin subdural fluids could not be diagnosed by CT alone. Thick subdural fluids could be differentiated as either hematoma or hygroma by their CT densities. Subdural hematomas had in vivo CT densities of at least serum level or approximately 20 H.U., while subdural hygromas had densities close to CSF. These characteristics were best appreciated by visual observation of the CT scan films. (J.P.N.)