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AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

Published ahead of print on November 1, 2007
doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A0799

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American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:388-391, February 2008
© 2008 American Society of Neuroradiology

BRAIN

Prevalence of Cerebral Microhemorrhages in Amateur Boxers as Detected by 3T MR Imaging

S. Hähnel^a, C. Stippich^a, I. Weber^a, H. Darm^c, T. Schill^a, J. Jost^d, B. Friedmann^b, S. Heiland^a, M. Blatow^a and U. Meyding-Lamadé^c

^a Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Neurology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany
^b Department of Sports Medicine, Medical Clinic and Policlinic, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany
^c Division of Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany
^d National Training Center for Boxing, Heidelberg, Germany

Please address correspondence to Stefan Hähnel, Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Neurology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, D 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; e-mail: Stefan_Haehnel{at}med.uni-heidelberg.de

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The evidence for traumatic brain injury in amateur boxers is controversial. Hypothetically, sudden acceleration of the head due to the impact of the blow during the boxing fight might result in diffuse axonal injury or contusion. We wanted to determine whether cerebral microhemorrhages occur more often in amateur boxers than in nonboxers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 42 male, classical amateur boxers and in 37 healthy, nonboxing male volunteers we performed cranial MR imaging at 3T. The study protocol included a transverse dual spin-echo MR imaging sequence, a 3D sagittal magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition of gradient echo sequence, a coronal T2*-weighted sequence, and an axial time-of-flight MR angiography sequence. MR imaging data were made anonymous before 2 neuroradiologists independently evaluated the images. In addition, the following risk factors were assessed: total numbers of fights and knockouts, weight division, and duration of boxing. We compared the group proportions of microhemorrhages with Fisher test of exact probability.

RESULTS: There was a statistically higher prevalence of cerebral microhemorrhages in the group of boxers (3 of 42; 7.1%) than in nonboxing persons (0 of 37; 0%). This difference was not statistically significant, however (P = .2479; Fisher exact test).

CONCLUSION: Although we detected more microhemorrhages in amateur boxers than in nonboxing persons, this difference did not prove to be significant.