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Traumatic Brain Injury pp 15–48Cite as

Imaging Diagnosis of TBI

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Abstract

Fundamentals and recent advances in imaging techniques and selection paradigms for the diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) will be discussed. Characteristic imaging findings for common TBI lesions will be described. Computed tomography (CT) is the modality of choice for the initial assessment of acute TBI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended for patients with acute TBI when the neurological findings are unexplained by CT. MRI is the modality of choice for the evaluation of subacute and chronic TBI. Advanced MR techniques, such as diffusion weighted imaging, can improve the identification of otherwise occult lesions, especially with mild TBI.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the residents, fellows, and attendings from the Neuroradiology Section of the University of California, San Francisco for their continuing effort to submit interesting cases to the teaching file server (http://tfserver.ucsf.edu). Some of the cases ­presented in this article were the product of their contributions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA

    Tuong H. Le M.D., Ph.D. & Alisa D. Gean M.D.

  2. Department of Neurological Surgery, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA

    Shirley I. Stiver M.D., Ph.D. & Alisa D. Gean M.D.

  3. Brain and Spinal Injury Center (BASIC), San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA

    Shirley I. Stiver M.D., Ph.D. & Alisa D. Gean M.D.

  4. Division of Neuroradiology, 1X55, San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA

    Alisa D. Gean M.D.

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  1. Tuong H. Le M.D., Ph.D.
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  2. Shirley I. Stiver M.D., Ph.D.
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  3. Alisa D. Gean M.D.
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Correspondence to Alisa D. Gean M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. of the Health Sciences, Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, 20814, Maryland, USA

    Jack W. Tsao

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Le, T.H., Stiver, S.I., Gean, A.D. (2012). Imaging Diagnosis of TBI. In: Tsao, J. (eds) Traumatic Brain Injury. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-87887-4_2

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