A 54-year-old man is brought to the emergency department following a skiing accident. The patient lost control of his skis and collided with a tree. He lost consciousness for about 30 seconds. When he woke up, he was mildly confused but able to ski down the rest of the mountain. The patient initially denied medical treatment but his wife convinced him to be taken by ambulance to the emergency department for evaluation. The paramedics report that at the scene the patient had a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of 15. During the ride, he became gradually more somnolent. His medical history is significant for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, and a prior transient ischemic attack. His medications include atorvastatin and lisinopril. In the emergency department, his temperature is 97.8°F (36.6°C), blood pressure is 141/84 mmHg, pulse is 71/min, and respirations are 16/min. He is difficult to arouse with a GCS of 7. A head CT is performed and can be seen in Figure A. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient’s presentation?
Damage to the sphenoid bone
Damage to the cerebral bridging veins
Secondary hemorrhage into prior area of infarction
Occlusion of cerebral small penetrating arteries
Damage to the sphenoid bone
This patient presents with a lucid interval followed by worsening somnolence and a biconvex lesion on head CT, which suggests a diagnosis of acute epidural hematoma. Acute epidural hematomas are most commonly caused by damage to the middle meningeal artery from trauma to the sphenoid bone.

Patients with an epidural hematoma typically have an initial loss of consciousness followed by a lucid interval, during which their mental status returns to baseline or near baseline. As the hematoma expands, patients display increasing somnolence from the increase in intracranial pressure. For that reason, epidural hematomas are sometimes referred to as the “talk and die” syndrome. If not relieved, this increase in intracranial pressure can lead to uncal herniation or death. Patients with neurologic findings or those with expanding bleeds require urgent surgical decompression.

Dadashi et al. present cases of patients with epidural hematoma from acute trauma. They discuss how patients often sustain these injuries from extreme sports. They recommend being aware of this syndrome so that acute interventions can be taken.

Figure/Illustration A demonstrates a biconvex hyperdensity that is limited by suture lines (red circle). This is the typical appearance of an epidural hematoma on head CT.

Incorrect Answers:
Answer A: Damage to the cerebral bridging veins results in a subdural hematoma (SDH). An acute SDH more commonly presents with a gradual increase in headache and confusion rather than the “talk and die” syndrome presented in this vignette. However, a minority of patients with acute SDH may have a lucid interval followed by progressive neurological decline. SDH would have a crescent-shaped appearance on head CT rather than the biconvex appearance of an epidural hematoma.

Answer C: Occlusion of cerebral small penetrating arteries describes a lacunar stroke. Although this patient has 2 risk factors for lacunar stroke (hypertension and smoking), this patient’s head CT demonstrates an epidural hematoma.

Answer D: A ruptured cerebral aneurysm would most likely lead to a subarachnoid hemorrhage. A subarachnoid hemorrhage presents as a sudden, severe headache (“thunderclap headache”), confusion or somnolence, nausea and vomiting, and meningismus. Surgical clipping or embolization of the bleeding vessel may be required.

Answer E: Secondary hemorrhage into a prior area of infarction usually occurs in the setting of a recent embolic stroke. Although this patient has a history of TIA and other risk factors for stroke, his head CT demonstrates an epidural hematoma. Treatment is supportive with the control of underlying risk factors such as hypertension.

Bullet Summary:
Epidural hematomas are caused by damage to the middle meningeal artery as it passes through the foramen spinosum of the sphenoid bone.