Shozo Nakazawa

Significance of magnetic resonance imaging in acute head injury.

One hundred seventy-seven patients who had incurred head trauma were studied with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patients varied from those with mild injury without any focal neurological deficit to those with severe injury with post-traumatic coma. Altogether, 177 lesions were demonstrated by MRI in 123 of 177 patients within 3 days of injury using T2-weighted (SE2000/40,2000/111) and T1-weighted (IR1500/500/40) multislice sequences. In contrast, computerized tomography (CT) demonstrated 103 lesions in 90 patients. MRI was superior to CT in the diagnosis of nonhemorrhagic contusions demonstrated as a high-intensity area on T2-weighted imaging. MRI provided some information to evaluate the severity of diffuse axonal injury or to predict delayed traumatic intracerebral hematoma (DTICH).

Continuous Monitoring of Jugular Venous Oxygen Saturation in Neurosurgical Intensive Care Units

It is very important for to evaluate cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen metabolism of patients who are suffering from severe head injury or severe cerebrovascular disease. It is well known that jugular bulb saturation shows the ratio of cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen metabolism. Thus, many trials were carried out to measure jugular bulb saturation to determine cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen metabolism. It has been very difficult, however, to measure and record these parameters continuously at bedside. Recent technology now makes it possible to measure and record these parameters at a bedside monitor.