Computed Tomography of pediatric head trauma

The development of Computed Tomography (CT) scanning has revolutionized the role of radiology in the management of the pediatric head trauma. The procedure is safe and can be repeated to reasses a changing neurologic picture, thereby correlation the clinical and pathologic changes. This study included evaluation of CT of 178 infants and children with head trauma during the period of 31 months from Feb. 1979 to Aug. 1981 in the Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University. 1. Age distribution of the total 178 pediatric patients was ranging from one month to 16 years. The pediatric patient population was comprised of 128 males and 50 females, and its male to female ratio was about 2.5 : 1. The incidence of age occurring in 3 to 6 years was 38.2% and 7 to 10 years was 29.2%. Therefore the distribution of age between 3 to 6 years and 7 to 10 years was occurred in two-thirds of all pediatric patients. 2. Of all cases of injuries, traffic accidents were 60.1% and falls were 34.8%. 3. Skull fracture were roentgenographically detected in 61 (34.3%). However, the incidence of fractures in pretoddler group (0-2 years) was 61.1% and 7 to 10 years was 37.8%, 3 to 6 years was 36.8%. More common site of skull fracture was occipital bone,next partietal bone. 4. 54.8% of pediatric head trauma due to a full had a skull fracture, as did 25.2 % of those who were injured in traffic accident. 5. Cerebral Computed Tomography (CT) of the total 178 pediatric patients were revealed as following study.: Normal was 74.2%, epidural hematoma was 8.9%, subdural hematoma was 5.1%, cerebral contusion was 4.5%, intracerebral hematoma was 2.2% etc. 6. Of 25 cases of the epidural and subdural hematoma, supratentorial area was 15 cases, infratentorial area was 10 cases. 7. Most of the epidural hematoma was demonstrated a clear mental state. 8. However, intracerebral hematoma and cerebral contusion were occurred almost impairment of mental state