Chronic Subdural Hematoma in the Elderly: A Case Report

Abstract

A previously healthy 82-year-old male presented with depressive and paranoid symptoms of 3 months' duration. Physical examination and cognitive functions were normal. Poor response to treatment and continuing weight loss lead to medical investigations that ultimately showed a large, left frontoparietal, chronic subdural hematoma. Following drainage, the patient showed some improvement in paranoid features but still required pharmacologic treatment for depression. The psychiatric features of chronic subdural hematoma as well as the management of this neurologic condition in the elderly patient are reviewed and discussed.