Articles: brain-injuries.
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Comparative Study
The diagnostic significance of posttraumatic sphenoid sinus effusions: correlation with head computed tomography.
In review of 1544 patients with both head computed tomography (CT) examinations and skull radiographs, 150 patients were found to have a history of acute head trauma. Twenty-nine of these patients had sphenoid sinus effusions. ⋯ Of the patients with sphenoid effusions, 31% (9/29) had intracerebral hematomas, 24% (7/29) had extracerebral hematomas, 13% (4/29) had pneumocephalus, and 13% (4/29) had cerebral edema. We conclude that the presence of posttraumatic sphenoid sinus effusion on the skull radiograph is a sensitive sign for intracranial damage and serves as an emergent indication for head CT.
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Zentralbl. Neurochir. · Jan 1984
Case Reports[Value of computer tomography in the diagnosis of impression fractures of the cranial vault].
There are only few statements about the validity of computed tomography for the identification of impression fractures of the skull cap. The diagnostic information of roentgenograms without contrast medium and computed tomograms of a total of 15 patients were evaluated and compared. ⋯ The simultaneous consideration of the sequelae of the intracranial traumata by computed tomography enables a complete assessment of the craniocerebral trauma. The appropriate combination of conventional X-ray diagnosis with computed tomography should lead to an optimum diagnostic information also for these clinical pictures.
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Zentralbl. Neurochir. · Jan 1984
Case Reports[Craniocerebral injuries caused by animal anesthesia equipment].
A consequence of the rareness of bullet injuries in the GDR are the uncertainties in the recognition and assessment of injuries caused by cattle anaesthetising devices which have become evident in connection with the relevant expertises of the respective cases. In view of this situation, the design and the mode of functioning of these devices as well as selected clinical aspects of such injuries are described. Besides the local findings, the computer tomography is of paramount importance in the diagnosis for both the recognition of the typical calvarial bursting and the representation of the shot channel with a demonstration of the imprimatum. Whenever possible, the therapy should consist in an early surgical procedure according to the principles to be applied to open craniocerebral injuries.
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Provided herein is a summary of findings by the authors and other investigators regarding the application of evoked potential studies to the assessment of neurologic function in severely head-injured patients in the acute and subacute stages postinjury. Multimodality Evoked Potentials (MEP's) are reportedly useful in three primary areas: 1) diagnosis; 2) prognosis; and 3) monitoring recovery. In diagnosis, the abnormalities in MEP's can be associated specifically with focal sensory/motor deficits such as hemiparesis and, generally, with the severity and extent of brain dysfunction. ⋯ Their accuracy is superior to many commonly used indices and MEP results add strength to clinical indicators of prognosis. Changes in MEP results obtained within a patient over time can be used to trace recovery and assess, for an individual, the functional consequences of secondary neurologic insult or medical complication. The authors conclude that MEP studies may serve a useful function as noninvasive indices of neurologic function in the management of severely head-injured patients.