Subdural haematoma and effusion in infancy.

Analysis of 116 cases of subdural haematoma and effusion in infancy showed that in 40% trauma was involved and in 5% meningitis was an aetiological factor; in the remainder there was no known antecedent disease. Apart from retinal or subhyaloid haemorrhages there were no clinical features pathognomonic of the condition, though vomiting was the commonest presenting symptom and a tense fontanelle the commonest finding on examination. Treatment by subdural pleural shunt operation, which allows the fluid to drain into the chest, where it is absorbed, was found to be effective, and there is no longer any justification for the older method of removal of the subdural membrane by craniotomy.