Microbleed Detection in Traumatic Brain Injury at 3T and 7T: Comparing 2D and 3D Gradient-Recalled Echo (GRE) Imaging with Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging (SWI)

Methods Twenty-four patients and three controls (21 men, 6 women, mean age 33.4 years, age range 19-54) were recruited and scanned on 3T or 7T GE Excite scanners. Five TBI patients scanned at 3T received a repeat scan 1 to 12 months after the first scan, for a total of 23 scans at 3T and 9 scans at 7T. Sixteen of the patients had mild TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 13-15), three moderate TBI (GCS 9-12), three severe TBI (GCS 3-8) and two of undocumented severity. The mean time from injury to MRI was 261 days (range 2 days to 3 years).