Fatal tumoural haemorrhage following decompressive craniectomy: a report of three cases.

Three cases of large and deep seated anaplastic cerebral glioma were treated by bone and dural decompression. The patients worsened suddenly within 12 h of surgery and later died. Postmortem examination revealed a large intratumoural clot in each case. The effects of decompression and the probable causes of fatal bleeding are analysed in this report.