Article
Lesions of the corpus callosum after head injury
Läsionen des Corpus callosum nach Schädel-Hirn-Trauma
Search Medline for
Authors
Published: | April 11, 2007 |
---|
Outline
Text
Objective: The clinical significance of lesions of the corpus callosum after head injury remains a matter of controversy. As magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is currently the most reliable method to depict posttraumatic brain lesions, we analyzed the outcome of patients with lesions of the corpus callosum.
Methods: In a prospective study we obtained an MRI in each of 200 comatose patients after head injury. The location of lesions was analyzed by the neuroradiologist, who was blinded to the clinical findings. Outcome was classified according to the Glasgow outcome scale and correlated to the location of lesions identified by MRI. Statistical methods included t-square, fisher's exact test and cross tables.
Results: Lesions of the corpus callosum were identified in 59 out of 200 patients. A good clinical outcome was noted in 68%. Moderate and severe disability, mortality and duration of coma in patients with lesions of the corpus callosum were similar to patients without lesions of the corpus callosum.
Conclusions: Lesions of the corpus callosum do not indicate a less favorable outcome than other supratentorial lesions. They were found to be related to a brain stem lesion in one third of cases.