• Clinton D Morgan, Scott L Zuckerman, Lauren E King, Susan E Beaird, Allen K Sills, and Gary S Solomon.
• Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Medical Center North T-4224, 37212, Nashville, TN, USA.
• Childs Nerv Syst. 2015 Dec 1; 31 (12): 2305-9.

PurposeApproximately 90% of concussions are transient, with symptoms resolving within 10-14 days. However, a minority of patients remain symptomatic several months post-injury, a condition known as post-concussion syndrome (PCS). The treatment of these patients can be challenging. The goal of our study was to assess the utility and cost-effectiveness of neurologic imaging two or more weeks post-injury in a cohort of youth with PCS.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study of 52 pediatric patients with persistent post-concussion symptoms after 3 months. We collected demographics and neuroimaging results obtained greater than 2 weeks post-concussion. Neuroimaging ordered in the first 2 weeks post-concussion was excluded, except to determine the rate of re-imaging. Descriptive statistics and corresponding cost data were collected.ResultsOf 52 patients with PCS, 23/52 (44%) had neuroimaging at least 2 weeks after the initial injury, for a total of 32 diagnostic studies. In summary, 1/19 MRIs (5.3%), 1/8 CTs (13%), and 0/5 x-rays (0%) yielded significant positive findings, none of which altered clinical management. Chronic phase neuroimaging estimated costs from these 52 pediatric patients totaled $129,025. We estimate the cost to identify a single positive finding was $21,000 for head CT and $104,500 for brain MRI.ConclusionsIn this cohort of pediatric PCS patients, brain imaging in the chronic phase (defined as more than 2 weeks after concussion) was pursued in almost half the study sample, had low diagnostic yield, and had poor cost-effectiveness. Based on these results, outpatient management of pediatric patients with long-term post-concussive symptoms should rarely include repeat neuroimaging beyond the acute phase.

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