Emergent neurovascular imaging in patients with blunt traumatic injuries

Blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVIs) are commonly encountered after blunt trauma. Given the increased risk of stroke incurred after BCVI, it is crucial that they are promptly identified, characterized, and treated appropriately. Current screening practices generally consist of computed tomography angiography (CTA), with escalation to digital subtraction angiography for higher-grade injuries. Although it is quick, cost-effective, and readily available, CTA suffers from poor sensitivity and positive predictive value. A review of the current literature was conducted to examine the current state of emergent imaging for BCVI. After excluding reviews, irrelevant articles, and articles exclusively available in non-English languages, 36 articles were reviewed and included in the analysis. In general, as CTA technology has advanced, so too has detection of BCVI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with sequences such as vessel wall imaging, double-inversion recovery with black blood imaging, and magnetization prepared rapid acquisition echo have notably improved the utility for MRI in characterizing BCVIs. Finally, transcranial Doppler with emboli detection has proven to be associated with strokes in anterior circulation injuries, further allowing for the identification of high-risk lesions. Overall, imaging for BCVI has benefited from a tremendous amount of innovation, resulting in better detection and characterization of this pathology.