title: Filling defect sign in CT diagnosis of ruptured aneurysm.
abstract: We have encountered a ruptured aneurysm as a filling defect in cisternal blood on CT in patients with acute subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), as high-attenuation blood can act as a contrast medium. We term this finding the "filling defect sign". To evaluate the usefulness of the sign in the diagnosis of a ruptured aneurysm, we retrospectively analysed CT with 10-mm-thick slices obtained within 2 days of onset of SAH in 100 consecutive patients. The sign was observed in 30 of the 100 patients, and in 13 (68%) of 19 patients with a ruptured aneurysm more than 10 mm in diameter. The filling defect sign is useful in predicting the site of rupture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inugami
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okudera
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seto
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002946:Cisterna Magna / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed