case 13 - traumatic head injury Flashcards
What are the 5 lobes of each hemisphere of the brain?
Frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, insular
Which arteries supply the brain?
Internal carotid arteries, vertebral arteries
What parts of the brain does the Anterior Cerebral Artery (ACA) supply?
The anterior 2/3 of the medial aspect of the cerebral hemipsheres
What parts of the brain does the Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA) supply?
The lateral surface of most of the brain, including the superior part of the temporal lobe, but excluding the occipital lobes
What parts of the brain does the Posterior Cerebral Artery (PCA) supply?
The posterior 1/3 of the medial part of the cerebral hemispheres, as well at the occipital lobes, inferior temporal lobes and the superior brain stem
Which artery supplies the dura mater and cranium?
The middle meningeal artery (MMA)
Which artery is the MMA a branch of?
External carotid artery
What are the 8 bones of the cranium?
Frontal (1), Parietal (2), Temporal (2), Occipital (1), Sphenoid (1), Ethmoid (1)
What part of the brain sits in the anterior cranial fossa?
frontal lobe
What part of the brain sits in the middle cranial fossa?
temporal lobe
What part of the brain sits in the posterior cranial fossa?
The cerebellum
Which artery is usually implicated in an epidural hematoma?
Middle meningeal artery, following fracture to the temporal lobe and an arterial tear
Which layers of the meninges are separated by an epidural hematoma?
The skull is separated from the dura mater
What are the CT scan findings of an acute epidural hematoma?
Hyperdense biconvex mass. Midline shift and ipsilateral ventricular compression.
What limits the expansion of epidural hematomas?
Suture lines - haemorrhage stops at suture lines where the dura is adherent to the cranium
What are the temporal CT changes in epidural hematoma?
As the blood ages its hyperdensity on CT reduces - i.e. it becomes darker
What is the time course for symptom onset in an epidural hematoma?
There is usually a period of lucidity before rapid loss of consciousness after several hours
What are the clinical signs of symptomatic epidural hematoma?
They are symptoms of raised ICP and potentially herniation - fixed pupils, facial weakness, paralysis, coma, etc.
Which vessels are usually implicated in a subdural hematoma?
Bridging veins running from the cerebral cortical surface through the subdural surface and into the dural sinuses
Which layers of the meninges are filled with blood in a subdural hematoma?
Blood between the dura mater and arachnoid mater
Why are elderly patients at increased risk of subdural hematoma?
As brain ages it atrophies, leading to increased traction on veins, predisposing them to tearing
What are the CT scan findings in a subdural hematoma?
Sickle shaped accumulation of blood, usually over the cerebral convexity. Blood will be acutely hyperdense, but darker with age. May be slow accumulation of blood. Midline shift and ipsilateral ventricular compression.
What are the temporal CT changes in subdural hematoma?
Increase in volume of blood overtime as venous leakage is slow. Blood will become less hyperdense with time.
What are clinical findings in subdural hematoma?
Fluctuating levels of consciousness, seizures, signs of raised ICP - however, chronic SDH may cause vague neurological symptoms such as headache
What are the 2 key causes of subarachnoid haemorrhage?
Trauma, cerebral aneurysm rupture
What is key cause of spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage?
Rupture of an aneurysm in the Circle of Willis
What are the CT scan findings in a subarachnoid haemorrhage?
Dancing man sign, hyperdense blood in the pericollosal cistern on sagittal CT, hyperdense blood in sulci between gyri.
What is the ‘dancing man sign’ on CT?
A sign of subarachnoid haemorrhage - hyperdense blood in the basilar cisterns
What are the clinical findings of spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage?
Thunderclap headache, neck stiffness, photophobia (absence of fever eliminates bacterail meningitis), symptoms of raised ICP, seizures, coma
What is the diagnostic criteria for epilepsy?
Patient must have 2 unprovoked epileptic seizures occurring more than 24 hours apart.
What are some examples of CNS insults that have a temporal relationship with acute symptomatic seizures?
Metabolic, toxic, structural, infectious, traumatic, inflammatory
What are the 3 types of seizures, categorised by onset?
Generalised onset, Focal onset, unknown onset
What are generalised onset seizures?
Seizures that originate at some point within the CNS and rapidly engage bilaterally distributed networks
What are the 2 subtypes of generalised seizures?
Tonic-clonic - Generalised Tonic-Clonic Seizures (GTCS), Absence seizures