Serial CT Scan following Traumatic Brain Injury: Its Significance and Analysis

Introduction: CT plays a key role in accurate diagnosis and important diagnostic tool in the management of traumatic brain injury. Materials and methods: Present study was under taken in the Department of Surgery Gandhi Medical College and Hamidia Hospital, Bhopal in the duration of July 2015 to July 2016. Total 105 patients (M: 80, 76.1% and F: 25; 23.80%) with traumatic head injury were admitted and managed and were include in this study. They were followed by serial CT scan and analyzed. Results: Commonest cause of brain injury was road traffic accidents (75 cases 70%). Altered sensorium was the most common symptom in 88 cases (88.0%), followed by vomiting in 49 cases (75.38%). Contusions were the most common radiological findings in 80.95% (85 cases) followed by extradural haematoma in 18.46% and pneumocephalus in 16.92%. Out of these the most common location for contusion was frontal (14 cases), followed by parietal (12 cases) and then bilateral contusions in 10 cases. Repeat scan showed increase in volume of contusion in 29 cases (44.61%), no change in 26 cases (40.0%) and decrease in 10 cases. The increase was mainly due to edema in 18 cases (27.69%) and due to actual increase in contusion in only 11 cases. Only 4 cases needed operative intervention. Conclusions: Sequential serial CT scan results in the management changes and has role in the management even in the patients without any clinical deterioration in early stages.