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Head CT in Trauma

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Trauma Computed Tomography

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Abstract

Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, resulting in immense personal and societal costs. CT is the principal modality for imaging moderate to severe head trauma, especially in the acute phase, due to its general availability, speed, and sensitivity to critical findings that guide patient care including skull fractures, intracranial hemorrhage, mass effect, hydrocephalus, and herniation. CT demonstrates acute primary effects of trauma, short-term secondary effects, and chronic sequelae; it however may be complemented by MRI which has greater sensitivity for acute infarction, infection and diffuse axonal injury. Understanding the different components and patterns of head trauma revealed by CT is essential for clinical practice in radiology, emergency medicine, neurosurgery, and neurocritical care.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Linda J. Bagley & Joel M. Stein

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  1. Linda J. Bagley
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  2. Joel M. Stein
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Correspondence to Linda J. Bagley .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Imaging, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Friedrich Knollmann

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Bagley, L.J., Stein, J.M. (2023). Head CT in Trauma. In: Knollmann, F. (eds) Trauma Computed Tomography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-45746-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-45746-3_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-45745-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-45746-3

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