[Clinico-anatomic variants of the course of cerebral hemisphere contusions]

An analysis of 237 cases of brain hemisphere contusions verified at operation or on autopsy has made if possible to distinguish between three variants of the traumatic disease which corresponded to the three pathoanatomical forms of the contusion. Convexital contusions (pathoanatomically-chiefly cortical or cortico-subcortical) ran the most favourable course and were characterized by distinct focal symptoms prevailing over slight, in most cases, general cerebral disturbances. Polarobasal contusions (anatomically - extensive or massive, i.e. penetrating down to subcortical ganglia or the lateral ventricles) ran a grave course and were characterized by progressing focal hemispheric symptoms in the presence of undulating development of general cerebral disturbances. Diffuse contusions of the brain hemispheres (anatomically small foci of destruction and hemorrhages in the cortex and the paraventricular divisions of the white matter) were characterized by prevalence of marked general cerebral disturbances over slight scattered focal symptoms.