Neuroimaging of Traumatic Skin Injuries and Associated Lesions

The skin, by virtue of being the largest organ in the human body and being exposed to the surroundings, is the generally first point of impact with trauma. Injury to the skin commonly is an indicator of trauma to underlying organs. Diagnostic imaging plays an important role in evaluating the extent of injury beyond the skin. This chapter reviews the clinical and imaging findings related to penetrating trauma, blunt trauma, thermal injury, and birth injury, non-accidental trauma, and associated complications involving the head and neck, such as fractures, intracranial hemorrhage, brain injuries, retained foreign bodies, orbital injuries, infection, and vascular compromise.