Table 3.
Number and Percentage of Athletes With Positive MRI Findings
| CS-SRC (%) | CS-Control (%) | NCS-Control (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any finding | 42 (30.4) | 21 (15.6) | 19 (19.8) |
| White matter hyperintensity | 19 (13.8) | 9 (6.7) | 6 (6.3) |
| Any non-white-matter hyperintensity | 24 (17.4) | 14 (10.4) | 15 (15.6) |
| Pituitary abnormality | 4 (2.9) | 6 (4.4) | 5 (5.2) |
| Brain, head, or neck mass | 7 (5.1) | 2 (1.5) | 1 (1.0) |
| Sinus abnormality | 4 (2.9) | 1 (0.7) | 2 (2.1) |
| Chiari I malformation | 1 (0.7) | 1 (0.7) | 3 (3.1) |
| Chronic microhemorrhage or vascular malformation (e.g., cavernoma or capillary telangiectasia) | 3 (2.2) | 1 (0.7) | 1 (1.0) |
| Pineal cyst | 1 (0.7) | 2 (1.5) | 0 (0.0) |
| Heterotopia | 2 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.0) |
| Brain infarct | 1 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.0) |
| Cervical adenopathy | 1 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Cervical cord Syrinx | 1 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Geographical white matter abnormality | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) |
| Hydrocephalus | 1 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Possible aneurysm | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.0) |
| Possible inflammatory cervical spine arthritis | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.0) |
| Cervical spinal canal stenosis | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) |
Note that athletes can have more than one finding. Brain, head, or neck masses include brain neoplasm/dysplasia, scalp or skull lesion/malformation, and juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA).
MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; CS-SRC, contact sport with sport-related concussion; CS-Control, contact sport control; NCS-Control, non-contact sport control.