Headache after 1 month of falling off a motorbike, young man discovered he had a blood clot, at risk of hemiplegia

(PLVN) - Chronic subdural hematoma often does not appear immediately after injury but progresses silently over several weeks to several months. Common symptoms include headache, hemiplegia, difficulty speaking, dizziness, nausea, etc.

Two months ago, Mr. C fell off his motorbike and his head (while wearing a helmet) hit the back of a truck. After the accident, he received first aid and a brain scan showed no injuries, only minor abrasions to his arms and legs. However, for nearly a month now, he has been experiencing headaches. In particular, in the past two weeks, the pain has increased, his vision has blurred, and his right side of his body has been weak.

When he went to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases for examination and brain CT scan, doctors discovered a chronic subdural hematoma in the left cerebral hemisphere, 3.2cm thick, compressing brain tissue.

According to Master, Doctor, Doctor Nguyen Quang Thanh, a specialist in Cranial Neurosurgery, chronic subdural hematoma often does not appear immediately after trauma but progresses silently over several weeks to several months. Common symptoms include headache, hemiplegia, difficulty speaking, dizziness, nausea, etc.

Doctors perform surgery on a patient. Photo: Thanh Thanh

In the case of patient C, after consultation, the doctors decided to perform the surgery using the awake brain surgery technique. This is a modern method, without general anesthesia, so the patient remains awake and can communicate with the doctor throughout the surgery. This helps the surgeon closely monitor neurological function, control the surgery well, avoid damaging the nerve fibers and healthy brain tissue around the hematoma, helping to preserve maximum motor and cognitive function for the patient.

One day after the surgery, Mr. C ate, talked, and moved normally. Mr. C shared: “At first, I was very worried and scared, but after the doctor's careful advice, I felt secure going into the surgery. During the surgery, I still talked normally with the doctor. Now I feel that moving on my right side is much easier, with only slight pain at the surgical site.”

Dr. Thanh added that awake brain surgery is considered for cases of chronic subdural hematoma, external ventricular drainage or brain tumor surgery in important functional areas. This method not only helps remove subdural hematoma but also minimizes the sequelae caused by hematoma, improving the ability to recover neurological functions.

“After a head injury, if there is a prolonged headache, weakness in one side of the body, blurred vision, etc., the patient should go to the hospital early for examination to avoid missing dangerous brain injuries,” Dr. Thanh advised.

Ngoc Nga

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/dau-dau-sau-1-thang-nga-xe-nam-thanh-nien-phat-hien-bi-tu-mau-co-nguy-co-liet-nua-nguoi-post548218.html