title: Contrecoup injury in patients with traumatic temporal bone fracture.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence and patterns of contrecoup injury in traumatic temporal bone fracture cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, cohort study was undertaken of all patients with traumatic head injury admitted to a tertiary referral hospital in Malaysia within an 18-month period. High resolution computed tomography scans of the brain and skull base were performed in indicated cases, based on clinical findings and Glasgow coma score. Patients with a one-sided temporal bone fracture were selected and subsequent magnetic resonance imaging performed in all cases. Contrecoup injury incidence, type, severity and outcome were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1579 head injury cases, 81 (5.1 per cent) met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. Temporal bone fractures were significantly associated with intracranial injuries (p < 0.001). The incidence of a contrecoup injury in cases with temporal bone fracture was 13.6 per cent. Contrecoup injury was significantly associated with petrous temporal bone fracture (p < 0.01). The commonest contrecoup injury was cerebral contusion, followed by extradural haematoma and subdural haematoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrecoup injury is not uncommon in cases of temporal bone fracture, and is significantly associated with petrous temporal bone fracture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Hospital, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. zamzilamin@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Asha'Ari
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamarudin
authors.forename: L Wan
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Ishlah
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D056886:Contrecoup Injury / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020198:Intracranial Hemorrhage, Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010579:Petrous Bone / Q000293:injuries; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000293:injuries*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult