CNS Trauma Flashcards
Skull fracture characterized by straight crack, usually not serious:
Linear
Skull fracture characterized by bone displaced inward, comminuted, possible brain damage:
Depressed
Skull fracture that crosses a suture:
Diastatic
Skull fracture caused by high force. Can present with distant hematoma and CSF drainage:
Basal
Bruise behind ear sometimes seen with basal skull fracture:
Battle sign
Altered consciousness from head injury due to change in momentum of the head:
Concusion
Rapid swelling of brain from second concussion prior to complete healing of first:
Second-impact syndrome
Progressive degenerative disease of the brain following repetitive brain trauma:
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
Deposits formed in Chronic traumatic encephalopathy similar to alheimer disease
Tau protein
Brain contusion at the point of contact:
Coup injury
Brain contusion opposite the point of contact:
Contrecoup injury
Twistinng or sheering of axons deep in the whit matter due to rotation (angular acceleration) of the brain:
ie. boxers, shaken baby syndrome
Diffuse Axonal injury
Histologically characterized by axonal spheroids
Three types of vascular trauma:
- Epidural hematoma: between dura and periostium of skull
- rupture of middle menigeal artery is common cause- “baseball to the temple” the lucid for a bit before LOC
- surgical emergency
- smooth borders on CT
- “baseball to the temple” the lucid for a bit before LOC
- Subdural hematoma: between arachnoid and dura, caused by cerebral vein rupture
- can be slow onset
- rough outline on CT - Subarachnoid hemorrhage: ruptured cerebral artery
- commonly BERRY aneurism
- surgical emergency
- “THE WORST HEADACHE IVE EVER HAD”