Hemorrhage on MRI

Changed by Yuranga Weerakkody, 2 Mar 2016

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The imaging characteristics of blood on MRI are variable and change with the age of the blood.

In general, five stagesof haematoma evolution are recognised:

hyperacute
- intracellular oxyhaemoglobin
- isointense on T1
- isointense to hyperintense on T2
acute (1 to 2 days)
- intracellular deoxyhaemoglobin
- T2 signal intensity drops (T2 shortening)
- T1 remains intermediate-to-long
early subacute (2 to 7 days)
- intracellular methaemoglobin
- T1 signal gradually increases (T1 shortening) to become hyperintense
late subacute (7 to 14-28 days)
- extracellular methaemoglobin: over the next few weeks, as cells break down, extracellular methaemoglobin leads to an increase in T2 signal
chronic (>14-28 days)
- periphery
  - intracellular haemosiderin
  - low on both T1 and T2
- center
  - extracellular hemichromes
  - isointense on T1, hyperintense on T2

Practical points

extracranial blood products age differently than intracranial blood products, and extracranial ~~hematomas~~haematomas often have a heterogeneous appearance, confounding attempts at reliably dating the age of an extracranial ~~hemorrhage~~haemorrhage ^3,4
^{Bloodblood / haemorragehaemorrhage appears hypointense and blooms black on MRI T2* /}
GRE imaging and also ~~highly~~highly sensitive to old ~~haemorrage~~haemorrhage to be seen as ~~hemosidrine~~haemosiderin staining .

-<li>extracranial blood products age differently than intracranial blood products, and extracranial hematomas often have a heterogeneous appearance, confounding attempts at reliably dating the age of an extracranial hemorrhage 3,4
+<li>extracranial blood products age differently than intracranial blood products, and extracranial haematomas often have a heterogeneous appearance, confounding attempts at reliably dating the age of an extracranial haemorrhage 3,4
~~-<li>Blood / haemorrage appears hypointense and blooms black on MRI T2* / GRE imaging and also highly sensitive to old haemorrage to be seen as hemosidrine staining .</li>~~
+<li>blood / haemorrhage appears hypointense and blooms black on MRI T2*</li>
+<li>GRE imaging and also highly sensitive to old haemorrhage to be seen as haemosiderin staining .</li>

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Hemorrhage on MRI

Updates to Article Attributes

Practical points

See also