[Morphometric diagnostics of the age of encapsulated subdural hematomas]

Abstract

The present morphometric investigation was carried out using dura matter preparations, capsules, and contents of 94 encapsulated subdural hematomas obtained from the corpses of subjects with a non-penetrating craniocerebral injury and the duration of the post-traumatic period ranging from 8 days to 2.5 years. The correlation analysis confirmed the necessity of differentiation between resorbed and unresorbed encapsulated subdural hematomas. The data obtained were used to construct 5 regression models for the estimation of the age of unresorbed encapsulated subdural hematomas and 1 regression model for the identification of the age of resorbed encapsulated subdural hematomas. The regression models included different combinations of three morphometric characteristics of the hematoma capsule as the independent variables, viz. maximum thickness, relative extent of hemosiderosis, and relative amount of macrophages in the cellular infiltrate. The amount of variability in the age of encapsulated subdural hematomas accounted for by the regression models is 62%. It is concluded that the results of the study can be used in the practical work of forensic medical experts.