Imaging of neurological emergencies: trauma, hemorrhage, and infarction.

In summary, the radiologist plays a critical role in the diagnosis of acute neurological conditions, such as traumatic brain and spinal injuries, intracranial hemorrhage, and acute ischemia/infarction, which may require emergent therapy. CT is the imaging modality of choice in such conditions and may serve to direct appropriate subsequent studies. The radiologist must be aware of the variable clinical presentations of many of these entities, and he or she must be familiar with and diligent in his or her search for the early, and often subtle imaging findings of these often life-threatening conditions.