Acute surgical treatment of malignant stroke

Lilja-Cyron A, Eskesen V, Hansen K, Kondziella D & Kelsen J

This paper – targeted at a Danish medical audience – presents the current available knowledge on acute surgical treatment of malignant stroke. It dovetails into Alexander Lilja-Cyron’s current PhD work.

Malignant stroke is an intracranial herniation syndrome caused by cerebral oedema after a large hemispheric or cerebellar stroke. Malignant middle cerebral artery infarction is a devastating disease with a mortality around 80% despite intensive medical treatment. Decompressive craniectomy reduces mortality and improves functional outcome - especially in younger patients (age ≤ 60 years). Decompression of the posterior fossa is a life-saving procedure in patients with malignant cerebellar infarctions and often leads to good neurological outcome.

Read the full paper in Ugeskr Laeger (click here).