The pattern of computerized tomographic findings in patients with clinical suspicion of intracranal space-occupying lesions in a teaching hospital

Abstract

The introduction of high-tech investigational facilities has revolutionalised the diagnosis and management of neurologic diseases. Of the modalities, the computerised tomography scan has become more readily available in many Nigerian tertiary health institutions. Most of the patients with intracranial space-occupying lesions need CT brain scan for evaluation. At the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, CT scan has become a routine investigation for patients with suspected intracranial masses since 1999. A total of 117 patients had CT brain scan done between 1999 and 2001 for suspected intracranial space occupying lesion. Of these, 66.7% were males and 32.5% were females (one patient's sex was not specified). Most of the patients were in their middle age (35.9%). The commonest CT finding was cerebral infarct, constituting 22.9%, followed by cerebral tumors (20%) and cerebral hematomas (18.6%). The other CT findings include cerebral atrophy, hydrocephalus and cerebral abscess. This study revealed the role of CT brain scan in evaluating cerebral lesions, as these lesions might sometimes mimic intracranial space-occupying lesions clinically. Key words: Intracranial lesions, computerised tomography, misdiagnosis, pattern [Jnl Medicine & Biomedical Res. Vol.1(1) 2002: 54-58]