Which term refers to a brain bruise with possible bleeding and swelling?

• A. Head Injury
• B. Coup-Contrecoup
• C. Concussion
• D. Contusion

Answer: (D)

Contusion is a brain bruise, involving actual tissue damage with rupture of small vessels, which can lead to bleeding and swelling (edema) within the brain. It often results from blunt trauma or rapid acceleration-deceleration, and tends to occur where the brain contacts the skull, such as the frontal or temporal lobes. The bleeding creates a localized lesion that may enlarge as edema develops, and symptoms depend on the area affected. Imaging may show a localized hemorrhagic area with surrounding edema. This is different from a concussion, which is a functional disturbance without visible brain tissue damage on imaging and often resolves without structural injury. The coup-contrecoup mechanism describes injury at the site of impact and the opposite side due to brain movement within the skull; it can contribute to contusions but is not the term for the bruise itself. Head injury is a broad label for any injury to the head.