Surgical Lesions in Head Injuries: Their Relative Incidence, Mortality Rates and Trends

An analysis is presented of 1,235 lesions requiring surgical treatment in 1,045 patients drawn from a series of approximately 11,000 admitted to hospital with head injuries in an II‐year period. Subdural hæmatomas were by far the most common lesions, outnumbering extradural hæmatomas by over three to one. Depressed fractures were the next most frequent lesions, with intracerebral heematomas and other lesions much less common. Incidences, pathology, mechanisms and causes, presentation and mortality rates are dissected, and some trends in type and severity of injury are discussed.