Time Course of Cortical Hemorrhages after Closed Traumatic Brain Injury: Statistical Analysis of Posttraumatic Histomorphological Alterations

We examined 305 autopsied brains for histomorphological alterations to determine the time course of reactions in cortical hemorrhages following traumatic closed brain injury. Eighteen morphological criteria were considered: red blood cells (RBCs), polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), macrophages (Ms), RBC-containing Ms, hemosiderin, hematoidin, lipid-containing Ms, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, collagenous fibres, gemistocytic astrocytes, fibrillary gliosis, hemosiderin-containing astrocytes, neuronal damage, neuronophagy, axonal swelling (β-amyloid precursor protein: β-APP), axonal bulbs (van Gieson stain), and mineralisation of neurons. The interval between the time of brain injury and death ranged from 1 min to 58 years. Following routine staining and immunohistochemical staining of microglia (CD68), astrocytes (GFAP) and injured axons (β-APP), paraffin sections were examined by light microscopy for the presence of the selected histomorphological features. For each cytomorphological phenomenon, the t...