Which of the following is a brain bruise?

• A. Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
• B. Meningitis
• C. Subdural Hematoma
• D. Contusion

Answer: (D)

Brain bruising happens when trauma crushes and shears brain tissue, causing localized bleeding within the tissue itself and swelling. This focal tissue injury with microhemorrhages and edema is what clinicians call a contusion. Subarachnoid hemorrhage involves bleeding into the space around the brain, not the brain tissue, so it’s not a bruise of the brain. A subdural hematoma is a collect ion of blood between the outer covering of the brain and the arachnoid layer, again outside the tissue itself. Meningitis is an infection causing inflammation of the meninges, not a direct bruise of the brain. So the brain bruise is the contusion, which reflects actual damage to brain tissue from traumatic impact and may be seen on imaging as focal areas of hemorrhage with surrounding edema.