Diffuse Axonal Injury: CT Findings and Clinical Profiles in Six Consecutive Cases

Abstract

Diffuse axonal injury is a relatively rare type of brain trauma when prolonged coma with generally poor clinical outcome is often associated with negative neuroimaging findings. Although magnetic resonance imaging is the method of choice for evaluation of diffuse axonal injury, computed tomography still plays an important role as an emergency visualization modality. We compared computed tomography findings with clinical data, short and medium-term outcomes and, if available, autopsy results of six consecutive patients admitted to our hospital during the year of 2009. We found that corpus callosum lesions were most closely associated with diffuse axonal injury, followed by subdural hematoma or hygroma.