A study on head injury

CT findings and Araki's clinical criteria were studied retrospectively in 398 patients who were diagnosed as having head injury during a two-year period from January 1984 through December 1985. Three hundred and forty-five patients (87 %) had no abnormal CT findings. In the other 53 patients, CT findings indicated acute extradural hematoma (3 %), acute subdural hematoma (3 %), traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (2 %), traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (2 %), and chronic subdural hematoma (3 %). As for clinical criteria, 208 patients (52 %) had Grade I, 144 (36 %) Grade II, and 46 (12 %) Grade III + IV. Abnormal CT findings were observed in all patients with Grade III + IV, 9 patients with Grade II, and one patient with Grade I. The fact that intracranial hemorrhage was seen on CT even for Grade I or II suggests the necessities of CT scanning in managing patients with head injury. (Namekawa, K.)