Arterial bleed between the skull and dura.

• A. Epidural Hematoma
• B. Subdural Hematoma
• C. Postictal State
• D. Aura

Answer: (A)

Arterial bleed between the skull and dura mater is an epidural hematoma. The space there is the epidural space, and when an artery (classically the middle meningeal artery) ruptures after head trauma, blood pours in rapidly under high pressure. This leads to quick hematoma growth and a characteristic clinical pattern: a moment of loss of consciousness at injury, a lucid interval, then sudden neurological deterioration as the pressure builds. On imaging, the hematoma is typically lens-shaped (biconvex) and bounded by sutures, reflecting its confinement to the epidural space.

This differs from a subdural hematoma, which is between the dura and the arachnoid and usually venous in origin, giving a crescent-shaped appearance and smoother spread across sutures. The other options describe seizure-related states (postictal state and aura) and are not about a hematoma.