Imaging of Traumatic Brain Injury

Uttam K Bodanapally; Chandler Sours; Jiachen Zhuo; Kathirkamanathan Shanmuganathan

doi:10.1016/j.rcl.2015.02.011

Imaging of Traumatic Brain Injury

Radiol Clin North Am. 2015 Jul;53(4):695-715, viii. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2015.02.011.

Authors

Uttam K Bodanapally¹, Chandler Sours¹, Jiachen Zhuo¹, Kathirkamanathan Shanmuganathan²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, 22 South Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
² Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, 22 South Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Electronic address: ksahnmuganathan@umm.edu.

PMID: 26046506
DOI: 10.1016/j.rcl.2015.02.011

Abstract

Imaging plays an important role in the management of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Computed tomography (CT) is the first-line imaging technique allowing rapid detection of primary structural brain lesions that require surgical intervention. CT also detects various deleterious secondary insults allowing early medical and surgical management. Serial imaging is critical to identifying secondary injuries. MR imaging is indicated in patients with acute TBI when CT fails to explain neurologic findings. However, MR imaging is superior in patients with subacute and chronic TBI and also predicts neurocognitive outcome.

Keywords: Brain injury; Computed tomography; MR imaging; Trauma.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Brain / diagnostic imaging
Brain / pathology
Brain Injuries / complications
Brain Injuries / diagnosis*
Humans
Image Enhancement / methods*
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
Nervous System Diseases / diagnosis*
Nervous System Diseases / etiology
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*