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One of the most important and complex structures of human organs is the brain. That is why, at the slightest suspicion of its defeat, specialists need to identify the cause and establish a diagnosis as soon as possible. One of the most popular and informative methods of examining this organ is computed tomography.
Features of the procedure and its importance
The CT machine is a unique combination of an X-ray machine and a computer. Digital images obtained from CT are more detailed than those obtained from radiography. This procedure is painless, non-invasive, that is, without violating the integrity of the skin. CT is performed in a specialized department of the hospital. The equipment includes a tube-shaped X-ray scanner, a computer and a monitor. The patient lies down on a table that drives into the scanner tunnel. Further, the scanner takes multiple images of the state of the patient’s brain, which allows the radiologist to immediately make a diagnosis, unlike the radiography method, which does not provide such a detailed and complete picture of the disease.
When comparing computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, we can say that the first one is much cheaper in cost, it does not have such a list of contraindications as the second one. For example, it is not a contraindication to the presence of a pacemaker or prostheses with metal plates in a patient.
Computed tomography of the brain helps to diagnose many severe pathologies, such as strokes, intracranial hemorrhages – cerebral and meningeal, as well as injuries, tumors, cysts, abscesses, inflammatory diseases of the membranes – meningitis, encephalitis, aneurysms, skull base fractures, structural and developmental anomalies, the presence of foreign bodies. To improve the differentiation of structures and tissues from each other, as well as normal and pathological structures, various contrast enhancement techniques are used. Its essence lies in the introduction of special substances-contrasts into the body before scanning. With the help of contrast agents, a scan of the vessels of the brain, called angiography, is performed. It is used to diagnose aneurysms, possible vascular formations, impaired blood circulation in the brain due to atherosclerotic changes and vascular diseases. Computed tomography-angiography is divided into two subspecies – venography and arteriography, depending on the type of vessels to be diagnosed.
Indications and contraindications for the study
The main medical indications for the appointment of a patient undergoing computed tomography of the brain are:
- anomalies in the development of the brain;
- the possibility of fractures in the facial and brain sections of the cranium;
- the possibility of intracranial hemorrhages, including those occurring inside the orbits;
- the presence of foreign objects in the skull;
- detection of inflammation or neoplasms in the eye sockets and ENT organs;
- identification of vascular malformation, impaired blood circulation and their consequences for the brain;
- diagnostics of the salivary glands for the detection of salivary stone disease, neoplasms, inflammation;
- diagnostics of the temporal bone to detect otitis media, tumors and non-tumor diseases;
- assessment of the patient’s condition after surgery and the effectiveness of this type of intervention.
Among the main contraindications for the diagnostic procedure using computed tomography, experts distinguish:
- pregnancy;
- lactation period;
- allergic intolerance to the contrast agent, in particular its iodine component;
- renal failure;
- weight over 150 kilograms.
Computed tomography of the brain
It is possible to conduct computed tomography of the brain at any time of the day without any preliminary preparation of the patient. If it is necessary to make a diagnosis using contrast, then the patient first takes blood tests for creatinine and urea, and must also limit food intake for four hours before the upcoming procedure.
In the room for tomography, the patient must undress and put on a disposable shirt issued by the medical staff. You also need to remove all metal jewelry. After such preparation, the patient is placed on a mobile table for tomography, his head is fixed and the table is launched into the scanner. When the scanner starts to work, the patient hears clicks and noise. Sometimes, so that this does not confuse patients, they are asked to insert earplugs before starting the procedure.
During the examination, the patient must constantly lie still. The entire procedure of computed tomography of the brain lasts a few minutes. In its course, the patient does not feel any pain or discomfort, but if necessary, he can always inform the radiologist if something goes wrong.
However, for all the painlessness, the procedure of computed tomography is not completely harmless to the body. Even when using modern equipment with a reduced proportion of emitted radiation, in a few minutes of the procedure, the patient receives the dose of radiation that he would have acquired in ordinary life within a couple of years of life. That is why it is impossible to prescribe and undergo this diagnosis without significant grounds for its implementation. Children under 14 years of age do not undergo computed tomography, as well as pregnant women. However, in cases of emergency, such diagnostics are carried out by protecting all parts of the body with specialized lead protection, which limits the penetration of radiation.
Obtaining research results
According to the results of computed tomography of the brain, the specialist makes a conclusion about the state of the skull and brain, in the case of angiography, about the state of the vessels: veins and arteries.
Next, the standards are checked for compliance with the size of the patient’s brain with the standard parameters inherent in a person of a given age and gender.
The accuracy of the study depends on the quality of the technique used in the diagnosis, the qualifications of the specialist who made the diagnosis, as well as the doctor who interprets the images obtained. New generations of tomographs provide a more complete and accurate picture of diseases, they have less effect on the human body, but they more clearly demonstrate all the nuances of the area under study, so it becomes much easier to make a diagnosis based on modern devices. An important point is the complete immobility of the patient during the procedure, since even minimal physical activity leads to fuzzy contours of objects and a decrease in the effectiveness of the study.
The results of the computed tomography of the brain can be given to the patient within an hour. Rarely, but there are cases when such an examination takes a day or two. The radiologist issues a written description of the received visual information, supplementing it with pictures or records on digital media. All this the patient must pass on to the attending physician, who sent him to undergo a tomography.
Thus, the timely passage of computed tomography of the brain can prevent and detect at an early stage the development of many serious diseases of the most important organ for the body. The appointment of this procedure contributes to improving the quality of diagnosis of diseases and the effectiveness of subsequent treatment.