Aging Haemorrhage on MRI

hyperacute: intracellular oxyhaemoglobin

• isointense on T1
• isointense to hyperintense on T2

acute (1 to 2 days)

• intracellular deoxyhaemoglobin
• T2 signal intensity drops (T2 shortening)
• T1 remains intermediate-to-low

early subacute (2 to 7 days)

• intracellular methaemoglobin
• T1 signal gradually increases (T1 shortening) to become hyperintense

late subacute (7 to 14-28 days)

• extracellular methaemoglobin: over the next few weeks, as cells break down, extracellular methaemoglobin leads to an increase in T2 signal

chronic (>14-28 days)

• periphery
  • intracellular haemosiderin
  • low on both T1 and T2
• center
  • extracellular hemichromes
  • isointense on T1, hyperintense on T2