IS Case 305: Anoxic brain injury

Aharon Wolf, MD

Imaging Sciences URMC 2009
Publication Date: 2009-08-06

History

Patient is a 55-year-old female with history of alcoholism found unresponsive with pulseless electrical activity (PEA).

Findings

Hypodensity in the deep nuclei of the basal ganglia suggestive of edema. Loss of gray white matter differentiation.

Diagnosis

Anoxic brain injury

Discussion

Bilateral symmetrical hypodense lesions of the basal ganglia in adults are compatible with a profound hypoxia, metabolic insult or exposure to toxins. This is presumably since the more metabolically active areas in the brain are preferentially injured. These include the basal ganglia, thalamus, hippocampus, cerebellar hemispheres, brainstem nuclei, and cerebral gray matter.

References

1. Osborn AG. Diagnostic Neuroradiology. St Louis: Mosby, 1994:354-59, 764-67.