[Insufficient CT scan in visualizing an intracerebral parenchymal damage in a six-month-old boy]

A six-month-old boy fell over, and a crochet hook penetrated his skin underneath his left eye. The hook was removed, and an emergency physician found a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 6-7. A CT scan showed no cerebral or ophthalmic injury. However, the patient was persistently apathic with head- and gaze direction towards the left and a facial nerve palsy. An MRI showed a linear intracerebral lesion stretching through pons into the cerebellar vermis. The patient had neuropaediatric rehabilitation and recovered fully within months. The case is an example of CT scan being insufficient in visualizing intracerebral parenchymal damage.