Medical Imaging of Head Injury

Abstract

The imaging classification of head injury includes (1) extracerebral lesions: EDH, SDH, SDE, and chronic SDH; (2) intraparenchymal lesions: contusion edema and hemorrhage, contusion hematoma, contusion edema, and diffuse axonal injury (DAI); (3) traumatic SAH and IVH; (4) others: linear fracture, depressed fracture, and pneumocephalus; (5) extracranial lesions: facial bone fractures, paranasal sinuses bleedings, blow-out fracture of the orbital floor, and cervical spinal fracture or subluxation; and (6) sequelae of head injury: brain tissue encephalomalacia or porencephaly, focal or diffuse brain atrophy, and hydrocephalus. CT is the first diagnostic modality for head injury and can diagnose all the above conditions. MRI is an auxiliary tool for head injury. For DAI, MRI can detect microbleeding and deep brain tissue contusion edema, which CT may miss.