Question
Patient who had an road traffic accident presents with presents with loss of consciousness. CT shows multiple spotty hemorrhages and full basal cisterns
| A. |
Brain contusion
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| B. |
Diffuse axonal injury
|
| C. |
Subdural hematoma
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| D. |
Multiple infarcts
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Show Answer
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Correct Answer � B
Explanation
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Diffuse axonal injury (DAI), also known as traumatic axonal injury (TAI), is a severe form of traumatic brain injury due to shearing forces.
The diagnosis is best made on MRI where it is characterized by several small regions of susceptibility artifact at the grey-white matter junction, in the corpus callosum, and in more severe cases in the brainstem, surrounded by FLAIR hyperintensity.
Clinical presentation
Typically, patients who are shown to have diffuse axonal injury have a loss of consciousness at the time of the accident. Post-traumatic coma may last a considerable time and is often attributed to coexistent more visible injury.
Radiographic features
Diffuse axonal injury is characterized by multiple focal lesions with a characteristic distribution: typically located at the grey-white matter junction, in the corpus callosum, and in more severe cases in the brainstem.
