Susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of cerebral microhemorrhage in patients with traumatic brain injury

Abstract

The sensitivity of susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was compared with conventional MR sequences, including T2*- weighted imaging, and computed tomography for the detection of cerebral hemorrhages in 15 patients with head injury. Susceptibility-weighted imaging detected a mean of 76 ± 52 (total 1132) hypointense spotty lesions, compared to a mean of 21 ± 19 (total 316) detected by T 2*-weighted imaging (p < 0.0001, paired t-test). Susceptibility-weighted imaging is extremely sensitive for the visualization and detection of microhemorrhages.