OBJECTIVETo assess the morphologic changes in traumatic cerebral infarction and to discuss its mechanism.

METHODSSpecimens from seventeen cases of cerebral infarction were selected from 81 patients with severe brain injury, and subject to routine gross and histological examinations.

RESULTS(1) The cerebral infarction in all cases was hemorrhagic in nature with a wedged or irregular shape upon gross inspection. The lesions were found in occipital gyrus (8 cases), occipital lobes (3 cases), basal nuclei (3 cases), cingulate gyrus (2 cases), and lateral occipitotemporal gyrus (1 case). Histologically, the lesions were located at the junction between the cortex and medulla, showing congestion, edema, hemorrhage, necrotic nerve tissue and blood vessels. In severe cases, the lesion extended into the entire cortex and subarachnoid spaces. (2) Swelling of the brain and cerebral hernia were found in all cases, 8 of which demonstrated that the posterior cerebral artery was compressed and stenotic within the space between the crus cerebri and uncus.

CONCLUSIONBrain tissue necrosis in traumatic cerebral infarction is the result of brain swelling and cerebral hernia formation, following congestion, bleeding and ischemia due to vasculature compression.