Prognosis of brain stem lesion in children with head injury.

Introduction: Traumatic brain stem lesions (tBSL) in children are thought to be a rare phenomenon. This prospective study analyzed the frequency and significance of such lesions on early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after severe head injury, since CT fails to demonstrate these lesions.

Methods: In 30 consecutive children comatose after head injuries, MRI was performed within 8 days of the injury.