Diagnostic Utility of Conventional Radiography in Traumatic Skull Injury

Abstract

This study was aimed to evaluate specific anatomical structures in patients who have sustained a traumatic brain injury and also to evaluate the effect that CT is more effective than x-ray in diagnosing the brain injury It was cross sectional study, conducted at Mayo Hospital, from Feb-May 2017. 65 patients were included in this study. CT was used as gold standard measure for evaluation of close head injuries. The most common trauma, which was found in this study, was motor vehicle 23(43.1%) and back of head was the most affected area 24(36.9%). Close head injury was found in 33(58.5%) patients. The sensitivity of skull radiography was 78.85%, whereas specificity was 76.92%. Other related risk factors were seen in trauma patients like double vision 28(43.1%), dizziness 59(90.3%), loss of balance 36(55.4%), loss of memory 4(6.2%), headache 58(89.2%), vomiting 21(32.3), and blurred vision 22(33.8%). The identification of fracture on the cranium suggests a significant brain and /or meningeal damage visible on a standardized x-ray film of skull bone. It is recommended that if CT scan is available, the victim of head injury must not have his rontgenogram done since it will give excessive radiations alongwith unnecessary interruption in reaching the actual diagnosis. However the choice of ideal tool used for the diagnosis for cranial wound is made on the basis of damage on the skull, if the damage is gigantic brain CT is the choice of investigation otherwise x-ray films will be enough for some minimal problem.

Keywords

• computed tomography (ct), x-ray, traumatic brain injury (tbi).