Clin Neuropathol
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Macrophages are an inherent component of the dura mater, and can be characterised in cases of subdural hematoma (SDH) by their progressive and varying accumulation within areas of damage. Gross and histological methods used to determine the age of SDH are inexact. These are in part due to the active nature of such lesions and the diverse manner in which trauma victims respond to injury. Correct diagnosis has obvious medico-legal implications. However, there is as yet no specific diagnostic method that allows the age of SDH to be reliably determined. This study investigated the progressive and orderly pattern of reactivity of resident and infiltrating dural macrophages that occurs in response to injury associated with SDH. ⋯ The expression of CD68 and MHC class II antigens provides a more informative picture of the progression of pathology associated with SDH, and may be used in conjunction with other clinicopathological factors, in further investigations that attempt to date SDH according to defined histopathological characteristics.