Degree of Midline Shift from CT Scan Predicted Outcome in Patients with Head Injuries
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Degree of Midline Shift from CT Scan Predicted Outcome in Patients with Head Injuries Pipat Chiewvit MD*, Siri-on Tritakarn MD*, Sarun Nanta-aree MD**, Suthisak Suthipongchai MD* * Division of Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand ** Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the degree of midline shift by Computed Tomography (CT) finding and Glasglow Coma Score (GCS) as a predictive of clinical outcome in patients after head injury. Method and Method: The present study was performed by retrospectively reviewing 216 consecutive cases of traumatic head injury admitted to the trauma center in Siriraj Hospital from 1999 until 2004. All patients were evaluated for level of consciousness by a neurosurgeon determining by GCS and underwent CT brain for evaluation of intracranial hemorrhage and midline shift. The final clinical outcome was also divided into two groups; good outcome for the patients who recovered well with moderate disability and the poor outcome for the patients who suffered severe disability, vegetative status and death. Then, the authors compared midline shift vs. GCS and midline shift vs. clinical outcomes. Results: Total of 216 cases, the three most common types of head injury were motorcycle accident, fall or assault and car accident. 96 of 216 patients had midline shifting, 53 of 96 patients had CT scan of midline shifting less than 10 mm whereas 37 of 96 patients had a CT scan of greater than 10 mm of midline shifting. 63.3% with midline shifting up to 10 mm had severe head injury and up to 81% with brain shifting greater than 10 mm had severe head injury. The clinical outcome also showed that poor clinical outcomes correlated to midline shifting greater than 10 mm. Conclusion: The increased degree of midline shift in patients with head injuries by CT scan was related to the severity of head injury (GCS = 3-12) and was significantly related to poor final clinical outcome. Keywods: Degree of Midline shifted, CT scan, Glasglow Coma Score, Head Injury J Med Assoc Thai 2010; 93 (1): 99-107 Full text. e-Journal: http://www.mat.or.th/journal Degree of midline shift after traumatic brain supervision at rehabilitation discharge. Although injury is widely recognized as an important marker other variables such as Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), of severe injury. Numerous reports describe the age, abnormal motor responses, other CT findings, association of a large amount of midline shift on pupillary abnormalities, and episodes of hypoxia and Computed Tomography (CT) scan with poor outcome hypertension, have been subsequently introduced to or other adverse sequelae of traumatic brain injury(1,5-10). build more complex and accurate prognostic model(4,5). A study by Englander J, et al(2) in 2003 concluded The present study was to evaluate the relationship that the presence of either a midline shift greater than between the degree of midline shift by CT finding and 5 mm or a subcortical concussion on acute CT scan Glasglow Coma Score as a predictive of clinical is associated with a greater need of assistance with outcome in patients after head injury. ambulation, activities of daily living (ADLs), and global Material and Method Correspondence to: Chiewvit P, Department of Radiology, The present study was retrospectively Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, 2 Prannok Rd, Bangkoknoi, Bangkok 10700, Thailand. Phone: 0-2419-7086, Fax: 0-2412- reviewed in 216 consecutive cases of traumatic head 7785. E-mail:[email protected] injury admitted to the trauma center in Siriraj Hospital J Med Assoc Thai Vol. 93 No. 1 2010 99 from 1999 until 2004. The criteria for inclusion of patients in the present study were 1) all traumatic head injury patients 2) all patients who had initial cranial Computed Tomography (CT) scan after head injury 3) available clinical data recorded of initial Glasglow Coma Scores (GCS) and final clinical outcome. Cranial CT imaging of each patient was reviewed separately Fig. 1 A) Head injury with epidural hematoma in the left from the clinical information. The CT findings such as occipital region with no midline shift. B) Head injury midline shifting and types of intracranial hemorrhage with a small amount of interhemispheric subdural such as epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, hematoma with no midline shift intracerebral hematoma and diffuse brain injury were obtained. The degree of midline shifting was divided into three groups; no shifting (Fig. 1), midline shifting up to 10 mm (Fig. 2) and midline shifting greater than 10 mm (Fig. 3). Clinical information such as age, gender, mechanism of head injury (motorcycle accident, car accident, fall and assault, blunt injury), GCS and final clinical outcome were collected. Severity of head injury was classified into 3 subgroups: Fig. 2 A) Small amount of acute subdural hematoma in Mild degree (GCS = 15) the right frontoparietal region with mild degree in Moderate degree (GCS = 13-14) midline deviation to the left side (less than 10 mm). Severe degree (GCS = 3-12) B) Left subdural hematoma with shift of midline The final clinical outcome was divided into less than 10 mm two groups; good outcome for the patients who recovered well with moderate disability and the poor outcome for the patients who suffered severe disability, vegetative status and death. Then, the authors compared midline shift vs. GCS and midline shift vs. clinical outcomes by using univariate and multivariate analysis. Description and backward stepwise multiple logistic regression method was applied to select the most appropriate statistical model to determine the predictors of the present study. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to estimate the association and strength of the Fig. 3 A) Intracerebral hematoma with midline shift greater determinant to the outcome. than 10 mm. B) Large subdural hematoma in the left frontotemporal region with midline shift greater than Results 10 mm Out of a total of 216 cases, the demographic data (Table 1) showed that the majority of patients with head injuries were male (n = 177) and only 39 cases were female. The three most common types of head 216 patients had midline shifting, 59 of 96 patients had injury were motorcycle accident (n = 102), fall and CT scan of midline shifting lesser than 10 mm whereas assault (n = 86) and car accident (n = 19) (Table 2). 37 of 96 patients had CT scan of greater than 10 mm There were 137 patients with severe head injuries, 33 of midline shifting (Table 4). The authors found that patients with moderate injuries and 46 patients with a 63.3% with midline shifting up to 10 mm had severe mild degree of injury from initial clinical status. Cranial head injury (GCS = 3-12) and up to 81% with brain CT scan showed common intracranial hemorrhage shifting greater than 10 mm had severe head injury associated with head injury, such as subdural hematoma (GCS = 3-12) (Table 4). The clinical outcome also (n = 100), intracerebral hematoma (n = 70) and epidural showed that poor clinical outcomes correlated to hematoma (n = 44). Among these patients 96 out of midline shifting greater than 10 mm (Table 3, 5). 100 J Med Assoc Thai Vol. 93 No. 1 2010 Table 1. Demographic characteristic of patients brain injury with midline shift Total No shift Shift up to Greater than (n = 216) (n = 120) 10 mm (n = 59) 10 mm (n = 37) Age (years) 35.7 32.29 37.88 42.02 Sex M = 177 M = 99 M = 48 M = 30 F = 39 F = 21 F = 11 F = 7 Mechanism MCA = 104 MCA = 58 MCA = 27 MCA = 18 Car = 19 Car = 16 Car = 3 Car = 0 Fall = 52 Fall = 20 Fall = 18 Fall = 14 Blunt = 35 Blunt = 21 Blunt = 10 Blunt = 3 Other = 8 Other = 5 Other = 1 Other = 2 GCS (8 or more) 148 85 43 18 Surgery 102 28 45 29 CT scan SDH 100 30 37 33 EDH 44 16 20 8 ICH 70 34 27 9 DAI 15 11 2 2 Final outcomes Complete 28 20 4 4 Improve 141 84 39 18 Death 47 16 16 15 MCA = motor cycle accident, SDH = subdural hematoma, EDH = epidural hematoma, ICH = intracerebral hematoma, DAI = diffuse axonal injury Table 2. Causes of head injury were also related to age 5 mechanisms relate to head injury Total MCA CAR FALL Hit or blunt object Other or missing Age group 0-20 yr 27 1 8 8 3 47 21-40 yr 47 9 14 19 1 90 41-60 yr 20 7 15 7 2 51 > 60 yr 8 2 15 - 3 28 Total 102 19 52 34 9 216 Discussion causes of head injury were also related to age groups Some authors such as Gan BK et al(11) indicated (p = 0.001): MCA was the highest (26.5%) in group I that age and sex play a major role in the prognosis of (0-20 years), hit or blunt objected assault was the head injury and also showed that the mortality rate of highest (55.9%) in group II (21-40 years), car accident the elderly group was slightly more than double that of was the highest (36.8%) in group III (41-60 years) and the younger group and age must be considered an fall was the highest (28.8%) in group IV (> 60 years). independent factor in outcome prediction in the elderly GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale score) from with moderate and severe traumatic brain injury. In Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) study by Shameran Slewa-Younan et al they concluded 2000 was found to have a predictive factor of outcome that men’s levels of injury severity were greater than following statistical analysis(13).