A comparison of the efficacy of computed tomography-guided minimally invasive puncture and drainage and craniotomy for hematoma evacuation in the treatment of cerebellar hemorrhage.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of computed tomography (CT)-guided minimally invasive puncture and drainage (MIPD) and craniotomy for hematoma evacuation in the treatment of cerebellar hemorrhage.

Methods: This single-center prospective cohort study was conducted from January 2020 to February 2023. During the study period, 40 patients with cerebellar hemorrhage who underwent CT-guided MIPD treatment were enrolled in the CT-guided MIPD (CTGMIPD) group, and 40 patients with the cerebellar hemorrhage who had a propensity score matching that of the CTGMIPD group and who underwent craniotomy for hematoma evacuation were enrolled in the standard craniotomy (SC) group. The primary outcome indicators were the 6-month mortality of the patients and the proportion of survivors with a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores of 1 or 2. The secondary outcome indicators were the cerebellar hematoma volume, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, incidence of postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and medical costs. In addition, data concerning the patients who died during the study period were further analyzed.

Results: At the 6-month follow-up, there was no significant difference in mortality between the two groups, although the proportion of patients with an mRS scores of 1 or 2 was significantly higher in the CTGMIPD group when compared with the SC group (P = 0.015). No significant differences were observed in the hematoma volume, NIHSS score, and GCS score between the two groups. By contrast, the incidence of postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and medical costs were significantly lower in the CTGMIPD group than in the SC group (all P < 0.05). When compared with the SC group, the proportion of dead patients with a hematoma volume greater than 30 ml was higher in the CTGMIPD group (P = 0.03). Moreover, after stratification of the patients with a preoperative GCS score ≤8, the CTGMIPD group had a significantly higher mortality rate than the SC group (P = 0.04).

Conclusion: The efficacy of CT-guided MIPD in the treatment of cerebellar hemorrhage is close to that of craniotomy for hematoma excavation, although the complication and disability rates of the former are significantly lower than those of the latter. When the preoperative hematoma volume is less than 30 mL or the preoperative GCS score is greater than 8, CT-guided MIPD represents a better choice for the treatment of cerebellar hemorrhage than craniotomy for hematoma evacuation.