Objective: To conduct a review of the descriptive scientific literature on epidural hematoma and to gather information to provide the latest updates on the subject. Brief description: Epidural hematoma is a neurosurgical emergency that occurs intracranially within the space between the outer layer of the dura mater and the inner table of the skull; It is of traumatic origin generally and occurs after a syncope with lipothymia approximately 74% of cases, and due to fall from height with 28%, cases due to physical aggression are also described, they are more frequent in men than in women with a ratio of 3:1. Conclusions: the mortality rate was low at 3.6%, after surgical treatment it was 2% and non-surgical treatment at 3%. The percentages of associated skull fractures (57% and 85%). They are much less commonly associated with maxillofacial fractures. After surgical treatment they have a favorable outcome, that is, a good recovery and moderate disability. Regarding the prognosis, it was found that the patients with the greatest deterioration were those with diastasis of the lambdoid suture, that is, those where the bleeding originated in the sigmoid sinus, the transverse sinus and the small meningeal vessels of the fractured bone, in addition to bleeding from non-arterial vessels in the posterior fossa with an overall mortality of 20%.

epidural hematoma; craniocerebral trauma; intracranial fracture