Decompressive Hemicraniectomy Reduces Mortality in an Animal Model of Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) significantly reduces mortality in patients with large hemispheric ischemic strokes but has not been studied in intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Male Sabra mice were subjected to large experimental ICH. The animals then underwent DHC or sham surgery. Early (1 day post-op) and late (5 days post-op) mortality rates and neurological disability were monitored. The animals were perfusion-fixed at 5 days post-ICH induction, and their brains were studied for hematoma volume and presence of active caspase 3 as a measure of apoptotic death in the area surrounding the hematoma. Our results show that DHC significantly reduced early (7 vs. 75 %, p < 0.001) and late (46 vs. 83 %, p = 0.017) mortality after large ICH. No significant differences in neurological disability were observed between surviving animals in both groups. Hematoma volumes did not differ between the groups on histological evaluation. The number of active caspase 3-positive neurons at the hematoma boundary was significantly higher in animals that underwent DHC. In conclusion, DHC reduces early and late mortality after devastating ICH without changing the hematoma volumes and without notable effects on motor and sensory functions in survivors. Further evaluation of this method to reduce mortality in ICH patients is warranted.