RADIOLOGY ROLE IN COMA, TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND BRAIN DEATH

Introduction: Coma most commonly occurs after acute traumatic brain injury, it is always alarming sign. The management depends on the type and severity of injury, immediate treatment may be life-saving. Brain death is another important term, the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA) of 1980 proposed a legal definition of death. In this review, we will discuss the radiology role in diagnosis coma, traumatic brain injury, and brain death.

Aim of work: In this review, we will discuss the radiology role in diagnosis coma, traumatic brain injury, and brain death.

Methodology: We did a systematic search for radiological role in diagnosis of coma, traumatic brain injury and brain death using PubMed and Google Scholar search engines. The terms used in the search were: Coma, radiology, traumatic brain injury, pathophysiology, brain death.

Conclusions: Since past decade, the diffuse axonal injury was believed to be the cause of post-traumatic coma, when the CT showed no hematoma exerting a mass effect, and the patient remained comatose for six hours or more after the trauma. The initial aim of imaging the patients with traumatic head injury is to identify abnormalities for which management may be needed immediately. Studies have shown more evidence that focal brain injuries, such as hematomas, found by CT and conventional MRI, are poor predictors of the prognosis. Traumatic brain injuries are the most common causes of brain death in adults, in addition to spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage. The determination of brain death starts with detecting the cause.