Contusion of the brain: consequences that may appear in the future

What can cause a brain contusion? The consequences that have arisen in a few years will be presented below. Also we will tell you about the extent of this trauma and what symptoms they are characterized.

Basic information

The contusion of the brain, the consequences of which are indicated below, is a traumatic damage to the structures of the said organ that is formed during the application of mechanical force. According to reports of experts, as a result of a bruise, absolutely any part of the brain can be affected, however, most often these lesions occur on the frontal poles, as well as in the lower basal parts of the temporal lobes.

Symptoms of such a trauma are formed from a combination of vegetative, cerebral and focal features. Their strength and severity depends on the strength of the impact.

What can cause a brain injury? Consequences after receiving such trauma most often do not arise, and also do not manifest themselves in any way. However, in some cases, traumatic damage to brain structures can make a person disabled.

Thus, it can be safely noted that the brain contusion is a kind of trauma of the skull and brain, in which their main tissues are damaged, that is, certain foci of destruction of gray matter are formed. Moreover, this organ is destroyed irreversibly.

Causes of development

About what the consequences after a brain contusion arise, we will tell below.

It should be noted that damage to brain structures can occur in any trauma. However, most often such a pathology is formed due to a car accident or a banal fall from a great height.

How is it formed?

How is the contusion of the brain formed (the consequences of the injury can be so serious that the injured person can remain an invalid for life)? In the place of impact of mechanical force, a zone of impact occurs, where the pressure rises. It is in this area that primary lesions of the structures of nerve cells, as well as blood vessels, are formed. In this case, in the opposite side there is a zone of shock, which is characterized by a reduced pressure. By the way, in this area the defeat can be more extensive, rather than in the place of application of force.

After a bruise in the brain, the processes of swelling of the brain tissue and its edema develop, as well as the processes of blood supply are disrupted. This significantly worsens the patient's condition and requires an immediate reference to a specialist.

Types of trauma

In modern medicine, the trauma in question is divided into 3 degrees:

1. A bruise of the brain is mild (the consequences are not so significant).
2. Contusion of medium degree (lesions can cause effects, but not always).
3. A severe brain contusion (the consequences can be deplorable).

All of the listed forms have their own clinical features, and also are characterized by different prognosis. Let us consider them in more detail.

Light bruise of the brain: the consequences of trauma

Such a bruise has the best prognosis for recovery and does not pose a threat to the life of the patient. It is characterized by:

• Loss of consciousness, retardation, drowsiness, delayed reaction, loss of memory.
• Vomiting, dizziness, changes in the heart.
• Increased blood pressure, a slight increase in temperature, nausea.
• Neurological symptoms (non-rash nystagmus, jittery eyeballs, anisocoria, lack of pupillary response to light, decreased muscle tone, anisoreflexia).
• Meningeal symptoms (neck muscles tension, symptoms of Brudzinsky and Kernig).

The duration of such symptoms usually does not exceed 3 weeks. At the same time, the outlook for recovery is favorable. However, it can be very difficult for specialists to distinguish between brain contusion of light degree and its concussion. Serious consequences with such trauma are absent.

Contusion of moderate severity

Such a trauma is characterized by a more severe lesion of brain tissue. It almost always combines with a fracture of the skull, resulting in a subarachnoid hemorrhage. The main symptoms of a brain injury of this degree are:

• Underestimation of the severity of one's own condition, loss of consciousness for 1-3 hours, episodes of psychomotor agitation.
• Amnesia (retrograde, congradular, anterograde).
• Pronounced headaches, severe dizziness.
• Repeated vomiting, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased breathing, nausea, fever.
• Coarse focal neurological symptoms (changes in muscle tonus, paresis, loss of sensitivity in the limbs, pathological carpal and foot symptoms, strabismus, facial distortion, spontaneous nystagmus, epileptic seizures, speech disturbance).
• Meningeal symptoms.

Symptoms of such a bruise persist from several weeks to two months. Over time, neurological symptoms gradually come to naught. However, a number of changes that occurred immediately after the injury, may be irreversible.

Symptoms and consequences of a severe brain contusion

Severe craniocerebral trauma carries a serious threat to the life of the patient. According to statistics, about 35-50% of all cases of such brain contusions result in a fatal outcome. Patients who suffered a similar injury, recover for a very long time (more than one month). Unfortunately, not always such a process is complete.

The trauma of this degree of severity is recognized by the following symptoms:

• Loss of consciousness. In this case, a coma can be observed, after the exit from which the patient for a very long time retains the altered consciousness by the type of stunning or sopor.
• Psychomotor agitation, which turns into a convulsive syndrome.
• Hyperthermia up to 41 degrees, which can be accompanied by the occurrence of seizures.
• Severe disorders in the circulatory and respiratory system. In this case, the frequency and rhythm of breathing is disturbed so much that it can cause artificial ventilation of the lungs.
• Neurological symptoms. There are stem signs, which indicate the defeat of deep brain structures. At the same time, the pupils of both eyes narrow or widen or dilate, there is a weak reaction to light, a divergence of the visual organs horizontally or vertically, floating eyeballs, swallowing disorders, coarse nystagmus, oppression of all reflexes and other pathological symptoms. After a few days, the symptoms of damage to other areas of the brain also manifest themselves. These include severe paralysis, loss of speech, lack of sensitivity in the limbs.
• Meningeal signs of a pronounced nature.

The consequences of such a trauma are very serious. However, most neurological symptoms are extremely slow to reverse development. The recovery of the patient can take six months and even more. Often gross motor and mental disorders persist for a long time, and in some cases become the cause of disability.

The main consequences of a brain injury

What can be fraught with a brain contusion? The consequences of such a trauma directly depend on the strength of the received impact. With a slight mild complication of severe complications, it is almost never observed.

Brain injuries of an average degree can also not affect the further fate of the patient. This is especially true if the fracture of the skull does not occur simultaneously with subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, it should be noted that for a favorable outcome, the victim needs a full-fledged therapy.

In some cases, such a trauma does not pass without a trace. Its consequences may be posttraumatic hydrocephalus, post-traumatic arachnoiditis, posttraumatic epilepsy and encephalopathy, as well as vegeto-vascular dystonia syndrome.

As for the severe brain contusion, it has the worst prognosis. Approximately 30-50% of such injuries result in a fatal outcome.

The most serious consequences

When receiving a severe brain injury among survivors, the following complications are likely to occur:

• Inflammation (posttraumatic) of the meninges (leptomeningitis, arachnoiditis, pachymeningitis);
• epilepsy;
• Atrophy (posttraumatic) of the brain, that is, a decrease in the volume of brain tissue;
• Scars in the area of the membranes and brain tissues;
• Hydrocephalus with intracranial hypertension;
• Cysts of cerebrospinal fluid;
• Post-traumatic panthencephaly;
• Cerebrospinal fluid in the presence of a fracture of the skull.

All these conditions are manifested by motor disorders that impede movement and self-care, as well as impaired coordination, speech, mental disorders, frequent headaches, decreased intelligence, convulsive seizures and dizziness. In such cases, patients are identified with a disability group, as they lose all working capacity.

Diagnosis, treatment

In addition to clinical examination, as well as the circumstances of the injury, an important role in the diagnosis is played by CT. In the course of such a study, specialists are able to detect the slightest changes in the brain, as well as differentiate its bruises and tremors, reveal the severity, identify cranial fractures and subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Treatment of such trauma should be carried out only in a hospital. Most often, with a similar brain damage, conservative therapy is used. Although sometimes a patient may need surgery. The main criterion that determines the volume of medical care is the severity of the injury.