Gadolinium DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cerebral contusions

The morphological characteristics of cerebral contusions in head trauma patients suggest that an increase in cerebrovascular permeability is responsible for the contusion edema which develops within 1-3 days posttrauma. In the present study, 10 patients with cerebral contusions (mean age, 38 years old; 8 males and 2 females) were examined by gadolinium (Gd)-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 1-2 days after trauma. Gd-DTPA (0.3 mmol/kg) was infused intravenously over a period of 30 min. MRIs were taken before, and at 2 and 4 hours after initiation of the Gd-DTPA administration. It was found that contusion edema areas were frequently enhanced by Gd-DTPA at 2 hours. The enhancement diminished at 4 hours. These findings appear to be inconsistent with the results of previously reported similar studies in which enhancement was detected at 6-9 days posttrauma but not during the period earlier than 6 days. This discrepancy may be attributable to the presence of a high blood concentration of Gd-DTPA for a longer period of time and a delay in the time at which MRIs were taken in the present study. The present data indicate that an increased cerebrovascular permeability occurs at as early as 1-2 days posttrauma, and suggest that contusion edema which progresses during the initial 1-3 days may be at least partially vasogenic in nature.