Angiographic Changes in Cerebral Contusions and Intracerebral Hematomas

We have analyzed the arteriograms performed on 39 patients with head trauma in whom a clinical diagnosis of cerebral contusion or intracerebral hematoma was suspected, but in whom no overt angiographic evidence of subdural or extradural hematoma was present. The patients with subdural or extradural hematomas were excluded, because there have been several excellent papers on this subject (CARTON 1959, CRONQVIST & KOHLER 1963, NORMAN 1956, THOMPSON 1963). The clinical indications for the performance of angiography following head trauma are: (1) failure to improve or clinical deterioration, (2) localizing signs, (3) severe headache, and (4) the presence of papilledema. The value of angiography in these patients is underlined by the fact that there were only 2 normal bilateral carotid arteriographies and in an additional 2 patients there was only ventricular dilatation.