CT of the head
Author:
Mikael Häggström [notes 1]
Contents
Planning
- Indications for contrast
Most CTs of the head are made without IV contrast, as there is limited advantage of contrast for initial investigations for stroke, intracranial bleeding or skeletal trauma. In the acute setting, it is also acceptable to have a CT head without contrast if a tumor is part of a list of differential diagnoses but not the most likely cause. It is then generally possible to to a complementary MRI of the head if a suspicion of a tumor remains. However, if a tumor is strongly suspected in an initial acute setting, it is usually appropriate to do a CT with and without IV contrast.
This is indicated in identification and characterization of aneurysms, stenosis or other occlusive diseases, arteriovenous malformations, vessel dissections, sinus thrombosis, idiopathic hemorrhage, and other vascular pathologies.[1]
Normal anatomy
Associated diseases and conditions
Diseases associated with both CT and MRI of the head
- Transient ischemic attack
- Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
- First-ever seizure
- Dementia
- Vestibular schwannoma
References
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