Subdural haematoma in the elderly.

A retrospective study of elderly patients admitted with subdural haematoma showed a greater incidence in men. Although a history of falls or head injury was obtained in about two thirds of the patients, the initial diagnosis of subdural haematoma was only made in about one fifth of the cases. In most patients the symptoms were attributed to a cerebrovascular accident or cerebral metastases. However, in those patients where the diagnosis was established at post mortem, it was not the principal cause of death. Only half the patients treated by surgery were well enough to return home, although less severely ill patients treated by medical methods or conservatively were all able to return home.