What is a cerebral contusion?
Damage to the brain itself may produce an intracerebral hematoma or cerebral contusions (also known as a brain contusion). Contusions consist of areas of bruised tissue in which the blood-brain barrier has lost its integrity, creating a heterogeneous region of injured cerebral parenchyma mixed with extravasated blood. Cerebral contusions occur in approximately 20% to 30% of severe brain injuries but also in a significant percentage of moderate head injuries as well. We often see these types of injuries where there has blunt trauma, but they can also occur in penetrating trauma such as gun shot wounds to the head. Where blunt trauma has occurred there may be multiple contusions to the head. Interestingly, contusions often occur in locations remote from the site of impact, often on the opposite side of the brain. Contusions most commonly occur in the frontal and anterior temporal lobes.
