MR imaging of brain contusions: a comparative study with CT

• Published in: American journal of roentgenology (1976) Vol. 150; no. 5; pp. 1133 - 1142
• Main Authors: Hesselink, , JR, Dowd, CF, Healy, ME, Hajek, P, Baker, LL, Luerssen, TG
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Leesburg, VA Am Roentgen Ray Soc 01-05-1988; American Roentgen Ray Society
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - pathology; Brain Concussion - diagnosis; Brain Concussion - diagnostic imaging; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Human; Nervous system diseases; Radiodiagnosis; Craniocerebral; Contusion; Computerized axial tomography; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Trauma; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0361-803X; 1546-3141
• DOI: 10.2214/ajr.150.5.1133

Ninety-eight brain contusions in 17 patients served as a data base for a comparative study of MR and CT for defining brain contusions. MR was the more sensitive technique, detecting 98% of the brain contusions compared with only 56% by CT. CT was slightly better for showing hemorrhagic components, documenting 77% of hemorrhages compared with 71% for MR. The appearance of the contusions on MR was variable, depending on the T1- and T2-weighting of the images and the constituents of the contusions, such as edema, hemorrhage, and encephalomalacia. On MR, hemorrhagic components appeared as high signal on T1-weighted images and as either low or high signal on T2-weighted images, depending on the age of the hemorrhage. The approximate ages of hemorrhagic contusions were often suggested by their appearance on T1- and T2-weighted images. CT is very effective for evaluating acute head trauma, but MR is recommended for documenting brain contusions during the subacute and chronic stages of head injuries.