A rare bleed that can show up days after brain tumor surgery
Original title: Delayed remote venous epidural hematoma: direct radiographic identification of a superficial cortical venous source and a review of the literature.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This looks across many earlier studies rather than running a new one.
This is one patient's case plus a look back at past reports, not a new treatment tested in people.
The short version
Doctors describe a rare bleed that can appear after brain tumor surgery, in a part of the head away from where the surgery was done.
What was studied. Doctors report one patient who had this kind of delayed bleed after surgery to remove a brain tumor. They also searched the medical literature and found 14 patients reported before, giving 15 cases in all to look at.
What they found. In this patient, scans showed the bleeding came from a small vein on the surface of the brain. Across the cases, extra fluid buildup in the brain was recorded in 11 patients (73.3%). The most common warning sign was a change in alertness or thinking, in 8 patients (53.3%). Surgery to drain the blood was done in 14 patients (93.3%). In the end, 12 patients (80.0%) did well, 3 (20.0%) were left with lasting problems, and no deaths were reported.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This bleed is rare, but it can happen. The doctors suggest that repeat scans in the days after a large tumor operation may catch it before a person gets worse. They also say that in some people who are alert and whose bleed is not growing, close watching may be an option instead of another operation. If you or a loved one is having brain surgery, your own surgeon is the person to ask about this.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a new treatment, and it is not a cure. It is one patient's story plus a look back at 14 cases reported by other doctors. That is a very small number. No trial was done, so nothing here was tested against another approach. It does not mean this bleed is common. It also does not mean that watching instead of operating is the right choice for everyone.
Source: PubMed, July 18, 2026 · Read the original
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