Computerized Tomography (Ct) Findings And Their Correlation To Glasgow Coma Scale In Patients With Head Injury

Abstract

This is a prospective, analytical, hospital based study, to assess the correlation of CT findings of patients with head injury with their GCS at time of CT examination .It is carried on 100 patients males & females, 83 adults & 17 adolescents and children, presented to the Neurosurgical Emergency Ward (Elshaab Teaching Hospital), in the period between April 2003 & September 2004.The study was conducted using questionnaires. The data was analyzed using SPSS computer program. Head injury was found to affect different age groups from six month to 88 years with a mean age of 33.3and standard deviation of 21.13, with male: female ratio of 9:1.Most patients were of working or studying groups. Most of them reside in central Sudan. Most patients could perform CT within the first seven days (65%). The commonest causes of head injury were RTA (47%), assaults (35%) & falls (18%). Seventy-five percent had mild injury, (15%) moderate & (10%) had severe head injury. The commonest CT abnormality was cortical contusions found in (31%) of patients, parenchymal haematomas in (22%), SDH in (18%), EDH in (16%), midline shift in (18%), pneomocaphalus in (6%), Fractures in (46%), IVH in (1%), post-traumatic infarction in (2%), brain stem lesions in (0%). Correlations between GCS, & CT findings were studied. In conclusion the study found that most CT abnormalities could occur in the three classes of GCS (mild, moderate and severe injury). However, it was observed that fractures, intraparenchymal haematomas, midline shift and intraventricular hemorrhage were associated with bad prognosis. Other important findings like brain stem lesions; SAH & fracture base could not be detected easily with CT scanning probably due to usage of ordinary CT rather than spiral CT. The study recommended that CT should be meticulously interpreted in patients with head injury.