Use of Magnetic Resonance in the Evaluation of Cranial Trauma

MR imaging is an extremely useful tool in the evaluation of traumatic brain injury in the emergency department. Although CT still plays the dominant role in urgent patient triage, MR imaging's impact on traumatic brain injury imaging continues to expand. MR imaging has shown superiority to CT for certain traumatic processes, such as diffuse axonal injury, cerebral contusion, and infarction. Magnetic resonance angiography and magnetic resonance venography allow emergent vascular imaging for patients that should avoid ionizing radiation or intravenous contrast.