One of the paramount concerns in head injury is why there is such a disparity in recovery from injuries that appear clinically similar. CT scan has established itself as the primary imaging modality for acute head injury, and acute hemorrhages are readily identified allowing for prompt surgical intervention. However, CT has proven to be of little value in predicting the outcome of patients with diffuse nonhemorrhagic white-matter injury. Future research with MR imaging during the acute phase as well as continued work in the subacute and chronic phases will undoubtedly prove this modality useful in more precise prediction of outcome in patients with head injuries.