CT scout films: don't forget to look!
BACKGROUND
A lateral scout view of the head is always obtained when performing head computed tomography (CT). It is common knowledge that viewing the lateral scout view may provide additional information. For a variety of reasons, however, a careful review may not be performed routinely.


OBJECTIVE
To illustrate the value of the lateral scout view, we present a series of representative cases.


METHODS
Six patients with clinically relevant findings on the scout view.


RESULTS
Most of the ancillary findings were in the upper cervical spine/neck, which is typically included on the lateral scout view.


CONCLUSIONS
Careful evaluation of the scout view of the head CT, including the skull and neck, may yield valuable information, which may not be visualized on the axial CT images.
Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children's National Medical Center, George Washington University, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA. semamian@cnmc.org
Seyed A
SA
Emamian
Elizabeth C
EC
Dubovsky
L Gilbert
LG
Vezina
William
W
Carter
Dorothy I
DI
Bulas
D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed