Referral patterns of physicians requesting brain MRI procedures: a community-based study.
The results of the brain MRI procedures (n = 490) performed in a medium-sized community with a single MRI unit were reviewed. The non-neurologic medical practitioners ordered nearly as many brain scans as the neurospecialists (40.8% and 59.2% of the total scans respectively). The incidence of abnormal scans was 29.5% for the group of non-neurospecialists and 39.3% for the neurospecialists. A fairly large proportion (26.7%; n = 131) of the scans were requested to evaluate headaches. Twelve patients (9.2%) with headaches but without clear neurologic localizing features showed intracranial abnormalities in their MRI scans. Some of the abnormalities observed in the brain MRI scans could have been detected by a CT procedure.
Wee
A S
AS
Department of Neurology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson 39216, USA.
Cowart
M A
MA
Mosley
P D
PD
D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008922:Mississippi; D009462:Neurology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data