Computed tomography of pediatric head trauma: acute general cerebral swelling.

General cerebral swelling was the most common CT finding in 100 pediatric patients with acute head injury, and was demonstrated by CT as absence or compression of the lateral and third ventricles and perimesencephalic cisterns. Up to 50% of the children who die from head injury are conscious on admission. The most common pathological findings are diffuse cerebral swelling, loss of cerebrospinal fluid spaces, and venous congestion of the cortex.