September 5, 2011 Posted by Matthew Dolman in Blog

Susceptibility weighted imaging and car accident injuries

Susceptibility weighted imaging, what is it?

Susceptibility weighted imaging is a dignostic study that utilizes a type of contrast in magnetic resonance imaging different from traditional spin density, and helps produce an enhanced contrast magnitude that makes it extremely sensitive to venous blood, hemorrhage, or iron storage.

Why is this type of image useful in auto accidents?

As a Clearwater Personal Injury Attorney, I have witnessed a greater use of Succesptibility Weighted Imaging studies in recent months on closed head injury claims. Due to the sensitivity to venous blood, Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) is often used to look at possible mild traumatic brain injuries that occur in automobile accidents. SWI is utilized to detect micro-hemorrhages, shearing, and diffuse axonal injury. These types of injuries can be easily over-looked when done with a low resolution scan. SWI is done at a high resolution and is extremely sensitive to bleeding in the grey matter/white matter of the brain. In other words, Radiologists are beginning to use SWI to look at very small lesions and subtle brain injuries. Without SWI, these injuries may go undetected and could result in dire consequences if not detected and treated.

This test is sometimes done along with other diagnostic testing such as a PET Scan or DTI Scan. A PET Scan is when a short lived isotope is injected into a person's bloodstream and placed into a imaging scanner. That isotope is then watched as it decays and breaks down over time. This scan is mainly used in oncology but does have uses in car accidents because of the ability to look for metastases.

DTI Scan or its proper name of Diffuse Tensor Imaging is also used in combination with the PET Scan and SWI. The DTI Scan utilizes water molecules and their diffusion to correlate brain injuries. In one study, DTI identified blast injuries to cerebral tissue in patients who had normal appearing brains on CT and standard MRI - the study validated the imaging method while also resolving important questions about the mechanisms of diffuse axonal injuries.

In conclusion, there is new science available to help monitor and exam damages to the brain as the result of car accidents. These damages could remain unseen if just a normal CT or MRI is done. Before you hire a personal injury attorney, ask them if they are familiar with these diagnostic tests. As your attorney how familiar they may be with traumatic brain injuries and whether they have experience representing clients with closed head injuries. Many personal injury attorneys lack the experience and resources necessary to properly handle traumatic brain injury claims. In fact, such attorneys are oftn concerned solely with the client's orthopedic injuries and ignore the manifestation of issues that may be related to a close head injury. A competent traumatic brain injury attorney will have a team of physicians they have previously worked with in presenting traumatic brain injuries to insurance adjusters, mediators and even jurors. This team of physicians often includes Neurologists, Neuropsychologists, Physiatrists, and Radiologists.

At Dolman Law Group, each lawyer regularly attends seminars and lectures in the latest technologies and trends in traumatic brain injury treatment and claims to ensure our clients get the best possible treatment and results.

For more information on closed head and traumatic brain injuries, do not heistate to contact me at: Bryan@dolmanlaw.com. Bryan C. Hannan is a Clearwater and St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorney who limits his practice to personal injury claims stemming from automobile accidents, traumatic brain injuries, insurance carrier bad faith, wronful death, and other catsastrophic injuries.