Local cerebral blood flow mapping before and after removal of acute subdural hematoma in the rat.

High intracranial pressure (ICP) and hemispheric swelling occurs postoperatively in about 60–70% of patients with acute subdural hematomas (SDH) [5], and this may present great difficulty for the neurosurgeon. The cause for this swelling remains unknown. In order to study this process, we have used a model of acute subdural hematoma in the rat, to compare local cerebral blood flow (LCBF), and ischemic tissue volume before and after removal of the hematoma. We have also measured the change in hemispheric volume, by making a comparison between the ipsilateral and the contralateral hemisphere, four hours after inducing the hematoma.