title: Misdiagnosis of stroke--a computerised tomography scan study.
abstract: Misdiagnosis of stroke has significant implication for definitive therapy. This study assessed the frequency of misdiagnosis of stroke using computerised tomography (CT) scan of the brain. One hundred and fifty-six patients admitted over a five year period (1991-1996) with clinical features suggestive of stroke had their CT brain scan reviewed. Only 89 (57%) had neuroradiological features consistent with stroke, of which 59 (66%) had cerebral infarction while 30 (34%) had cerebral haemorrhage. In 67 (43%) of the cases, there were no features of cerebro-vascular accident (CVA) on the CT scan. In this group, cerebral atrophy was the commonest radiological abnormality (21/67), followed by brain tumor (10/67) and subdural haematoma (9/67). The CT scan was normal in 25 patients. The misdiagnosis of surgically treatable conditions in as many as 21 (13.5%) of the 156 patients calls for better neurological evaluation of patients admitted for stroke in tertiary and non-tertiary hospitals. Where available, patients with clinical diagnosis of stroke should have CT scan evaluation to ensure that patients who can be helped surgically are identified early and appropriately treated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ogun
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oluwole
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Ogunseyinde
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fatade
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Odusote
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000592:standards*