Treatment of chronic subdural haematomas - a retrospective comparison of minicraniectomy versus burrhole drainage.

Primary chronic subdural haematomas remains one of the commonest conditions managed by neurosurgeons. Despite this there is a relative lack of evidence regarding best management and certain treatments such as minicraniectomy, have rarely been assessed in the literature. A retrospective case note review comparing minicraniectomy and burrhole drainage of primary chronic subdural haematoma was therefore performed. We sought to determine the proportion of patients requiring repeat drainage or dandy cannula aspiration following initial surgery and to assess outcome at outpatient follow-up. The mean age of patients undergoing minicraniectomy was 73, compared to 63 in the burrhole group (p < 0.001). 130 patients underwent burrhole drainage, 23 of whom (18%) developed a symptomatic recurrence. 21 (16%) of these patients required repeat drainage. Of the 116 patients who underwent a craniectomy 23 (20%) patients suffered a symptomatic recurrence. 15 (13%) patients required the minicraniectomy to be reopened for further washout (p = 0.48). (8%) patients who underwent burrhole drainage died compared to 20 (17%) patients following craniectomy (95%CI 2 to 18%; p = 0.03). However, controlling for age using logistic logression, showed no significant difference between the two treatment groups in recurrence (p = 0.28) or death (p = 0.06). Craniectomy may be considered as a treatment option particularly in the elderly population and in patients with multiple loculated collections.