Epidural Hematoma
An epidural hematoma is bleeding between the skull and the outer covering of the brain, often after head trauma.
When to get help quickly: This is an emergency. Anyone with significant head injury followed by severe headache, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, weakness, or collapse should go to the hospital urgently.
Common symptoms
Symptoms may include severe headache, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, weakness, seizures, or a brief loss of consciousness followed by seeming better and then getting worse.
When imaging helps
Imaging helps confirm that blood is collecting outside the brain, show how large it is, and reveal whether it is pressing dangerously on the brain.
What radiology does
CT is the key emergency imaging test because it quickly shows the collection and any pressure effect on the brain.
What usually happens next
This can be a neurosurgical emergency and may require urgent monitoring or surgical evacuation.
Seen this on your report?
Your doctor or the radiologist who wrote it can tell you what it means for you.