Acute pseudoaneurysms following head gunshot wounds

New Rochelle, NY, May 21, 2024—A new study in the peer-reviewed Journal of Neurotrauma contends that a significant fraction of traumatic intracranial aneurysms (TICAs) is missed on initial contrasted scans of patients suffering a civilian gunshot wound to the head (cGSWH). The study was designed to characterize acute TICAs using admission CT angiography (aCTA). Click here to read the article now.

The study showed that the presence of an intracerebral hematoma was the main predictor of TICA in cGSWH. Larger intracerebral hematomas in patients with cGSWH suggest hidden TICAs.

“When CTA was performed acutely, TICAs were ten times more frequent in cGSWH compared to [what was reported in the] previous literature, and more likely to proceed to surgery,” stated Riccardo Serra, MD, from the University of Maryland, and coauthors of the study.

“This study provides first evidence of early incidence of traumatic aneurysms after GSW to the head,” concluded the investigators. “TICAs may arise in up to 20% of patients in the hours immediately after the injury, are associated with intracerebral hematomas, and predict neurosurgical intervention. Spontaneous resolution on repeat vascular imaging occurs in approximately 40% of the patients that survive the initial injury.”

“These results from the very early hours after injury challenge the conventional wisdom about the incidence and natural history of TICAs in cGSWH patients,” says Alex Valadka, MD, Deputy Editor of Journal of Neurotrauma, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

About the Journal
Journal of Neurotrauma is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published 24 times per year in print and online that focuses on the latest advances in the clinical and laboratory investigation of traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. Emphasis is on the basic pathobiology of injury to the nervous system, and the papers and reviews evaluate preclinical and clinical trials targeted at improving the early management and long-term care and recovery of patients with traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma is the official journal of the National Neurotrauma Society and the International Neurotrauma Society. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Journal of Neurotrauma website. 

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a global media company dedicated to creating, curating, and delivering impactful peer-reviewed research and authoritative content services to advance the fields of biotechnology and the life sciences, specialized clinical medicine, and public health and policy. For complete information, please visit the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.