Contusion Progression Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Review of Clinical and Radiological Predictors, and Influence on Outcome.

Secondary injuries remain an important cause of the morbidity and mortality associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Progression of cerebral contusions occurs in up to 75% of patients with TBI, and this contributes to subsequent clinical deterioration and requirement for surgical intervention. Despite this, the role of early clinical and radiological factors in predicting contusion progression remains relatively poorly defined due to studies investigating progression of all types of haemorrhagic injuries as a combined cohort. In this review, we summarise data from recent studies on factors which predict contusion progression, and the effect of contusion progression on clinical outcomes.Acknowledgements: Dr Newcombe is supported by an Academy of Medical Sciences / The Health Foundation Clinician Scientist Fellowship. Prof Menon is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), UK, through NIHR Senior Investigator Awards. The work described here was also supported by the European Union through a Framework Program 7 award (Grant agreement: 602150) and by funding awarded to the Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre