Hydrocephalus is a determinant of early mortality in putaminal hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Previous studies have shown that the volume of intracerebral hemorrhage and Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) on admission are powerful predictors of 30-day mortality. However, the significance of hydrocephalus associated with deep cerebral hemorrhage has not been studied extensively. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic indicators of 30-day mortality in patients with deep cerebral hemorrhage. METHODS We studied 100 consecutive patients with deep cerebral hemorrhage between 1994 and 1998. Deep cerebral hemorrhage was divided into 2 groups: putaminal hemorrhage (lateral group) and thalamic and caudate hemorrhage (medial group). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine independent prognostic indicators of 30-day mortality. RESULTS Hydrocephalus was present in 40 of the 100 patients. The 30-day mortality was 29%, and hydrocephalus was present in 76% of those who died. Multivariate analyses showed 2 independent prognostic indicators of 30-day mortality for putaminal hemorrhage: GCS </=8 (P:=0.002, odds ratio [OR] 37.7, CI 3.6 to 396.9) and hydrocephalus (P:=0.005, OR 27.4, CI 2.7 to 282.6). However, only GCS </=8 (P:=0.0002, OR 16.5, CI 3.7 to 73.4) was predictive of 30-day mortality for thalamic and caudate hemorrhage. This model (GCS </=8 and hydrocephalus) has a sensitivity of 57% and a specificity of 91% for predicting 30-day mortality for putaminal hemorrhage. When both attributes were present in putaminal hemorrhage (GCS </=8 and hydrocephalus), 1 (11%) of 9 patients survived, and when both attributes were missing 28 (100%) of 28 patients survived. CONCLUSIONS Obstructive hydrocephalus on admission in a comatose patient with a putaminal hemorrhage predicts 30-day mortality.