Symptomatic chronic extraaxial fluid collections in children [Neurosurgery Wiki]

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====== Symptomatic chronic extraaxial fluid collections in children ======


===== General information =====

Variously classified as [[hematoma]]s ([[chronic subdural hematoma]]), [[effusion]]s, or [[hygroma]]s, with differing definitions associated with each. Since the appearance of imaging and the treatment is similar, Litofsky et al proposed that they all be classified as extra-axial fluid collections
((Litofsky NS, Raffel C, McComb JG. Management of [[symptomatic chronic extra-axial fluid collections]] in pediatric patients. Neurosurgery. 1992 Sep;31(3):445-50. doi: 10.1227/00006123-199209000-00009. PMID: 1407427.))

The difference between these lesions and “benign” subdural effusions may simply be the degree of clinical manifestation.

===== Etiologies =====

The following etiologies were listed in a series of 103 cases:

1. 36% were thought to be the result of trauma (22 were victims of child abuse)

2. 22% followed [[bacterial meningitis]] (post-infectious)

3. 19 occurred after placement or revision of a shunt 

4. no cause could be identified in 17 patients