Is the routine CT head scan justified for psychiatric patients? A prospective study.
Thirty-four psychiatric patients, assessed for a physical illness that was missed during diagnosis, underwent a CT scan. After investigation, the diagnosis of 14 patients changed from a functional to an organic illness. In nine patients, the CT scan was reported to be abnormal, and yet only two were diagnosed as having an organic syndrome. In seven patients, the CT scan was normal but the patients had an undisputed organic brain syndrome. These findings indicate that the use of CT scans should be restricted to cases in which the diagnosis is seriously in question. The clinical findings should dictate the use of CT scans either to clarify or to complement them.
Ananth
J
J
Harbor UCLA Medical Center, Torrance.
Gamal
R
R
Miller
M
M
Wohl
M
M
Vandewater
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000523:psychology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed