What is mass effect in subdural hematoma?

The local pressure from a tumor or bleeding (hematoma) on adjacent parts of the brain. Mass effect is diagnosed by an MRI or CT scan which shows where the mass is and what it is pushing on.

Where is the mass of blood located in a subdural hematoma?

In a subdural hematoma, the blood seeps between the dura and the arachnoid layers. It collects inside the brain’s tough outer lining. This bleeding often comes from a blood vessel that breaks within the space around the brain. This most often happens because of a head injury.

What are the long term effects of a subdural hematoma?

Many people are left with some long-lasting problems after treatment for a subdural haematoma. These can include changes to your mood, concentration or memory problems, fits (seizures), speech problems, and weakness in your limbs. There’s also a risk the haematoma could come back after treatment.

What is the mechanism of injury for subdural hematoma?

The usual mechanism that produces an acute subdural hematoma is a high-speed impact to the skull. This causes brain tissue to accelerate or decelerate relative to the fixed dural structures, tearing blood vessels.

What causes mass effect in brain?

As the intracranial volume cannot change, any intracranial lesion which is ‘space-occupying’ may increase intracranial pressure and displace the soft tissues of the brain. This is known as ‘mass effect’. Intracranial pathological processes, such as masses and haemorrhage, can cause mass effect.

Does mass effect mean brain compression?

Lesions or processes that cause compression, distortion, and/or displacement of intracranial contents may be said to have “mass effect.” One important concept to understand is that mass effect is a manifestation on imaging of various intracranial processes (including tumor, hemorrhage, ischemia, and trauma) and not a …