A quantitative analysis of head injury using T2*-weighted gradient-echo imaging.
BACKGROUND
T2*-weighted gradient-echo imaging (T2*-GE) is useful for detecting small hemorrhages.


METHODS
Thirty-four patients were prospectively examined, first by magnetic resonance imaging (1.5 T) and then by T2-weighted fast spin echo (T2-FSE) and T2*-GE. Thereafter, the correlations between the T2-FSE or T2*-GE findings and the clinical or computed tomography findings were analyzed.


RESULTS
The number of lesions detected by T2*-GE was 14.5 +/- 16.3 (mean +/- SD, n = 34), which was significantly (p < 0.001) greater than that detected by T2-FSE (5.6 +/- 5.6, n = 34). The findings of T2*-GE correlated positively with both the duration of unconsciousness (R2 = 0.74,p < 0.0001) and with Glasgow Outcome Scale (R2 = 0.81, p < 0.0001), whereas those of T2-FSE did not show any significant correlation. T2*-GE imaging could also detect all areas responsible for focal neurologic signs 1 month after in. jury, whereas T2-FSE imaging detected only 22 of 33 such signs.


CONCLUSIONS
T2*-GE was found to be useful for evaluating the clinical symptoms of head injury.
Yanagawa
Y
Y
Department of Traumatology and Critical Care Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan.
Tsushima
Y
Y
Tokumaru
A
A
Un-no
Y
Y
Sakamoto
T
T
Okada
Y
Y
Nawashiro
H
H
Shima
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000592:standards*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed