The authors investigated a consecutive group of 14 patients treated at the Neurosurgical Clinic on account of traumatic intracranial haemorrhage, admitted with the clinical temporal conus syndrome (GCS 3-5, ipsilateral or bilateral mydriasis, failure of vital functions). All had emergency operations and at the intensive care unit the cerebral perfusion pressure and the saturation in the jugular bulb was monitored continuously. On the first and fifth day after surgery a check-up CT and SPECT examination was made. Only two patients had ischaemia during the first CT check-up, while 11 patients had impaired perfusion on the first SPECT. Improving perfusion on the check-up SPECT was the sign of a favourable prognosis, while ischaemia on the first CT was in both instances fatal. The Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) six months after the injury was as follows: 9 patients had a good result, 2 patients were moderately disabled 3 patients died. The authors consider the following as basic prerequisites of a favourable outcome: not only early operation but also monitoring and treatment of impaired cerebral perfusion.

        Key words: brain injury – cerebral perfusion – ischaemia