Comparison of MRI and X-ray CT scan findings in serious head injury

Twenty one patients with serious neurological deficits, prolonged consciousness disturbance and three months follow-up periods were examined by MRI at the acute to chronic stage, which were compared with X-ray CT findings. Sixteen patients' glasgow coma scale (GCS) on admission was less than 7, and five patients' GCS was more than 8. X-ray CT scan revealed diffuse brain contusion and/or hematoma in 14 patients, deep structural lesions in two patients and no lesion in five patients. MRI demonstrated cerebral contusion in 11 patients, deep structural lesions with or without cerebral contusion in 10 patients and no lesion in two patients. The deep structural lesions correlated with prolonged consciousness disturbance and serious neurological deficits, but did not closely related with clinical outcomes. These results indicated that X-ray CT scan was very effective for detecting the intracranial hemorrhagic lesions in the acute stage, but MRI was recommended for documenting brain lesions at the deep structures and evaluating the clinical outcomes in the chronic stage. (author)