Ces radiol. 2017, 71(3):188-191 | DOI: 10.55095/CesRadiol2017/025

Skull X-ray after head injuryOriginal article

Zuzana Sedláčková¹, Diana Mitrovičová¹, Jan Heřman², Tomáš Fürst¹

¹ Radiologická klinika LF UP a FN, Olomouc

² Otolaryngologická klinika FN, Olomouc

Aim: CT examination is the gold standard for imaging patients after head injury with high and medium risk of brain trauma. Czech guidelines, unlike the European ones, acknowledge skull X-ray in the case of moderate trauma as well (although CT is preferred). We focused on patients who underwent skull X-ray examinations in order to determine whether this method of imaging should still be used, what its significance is, or whether it is time to change the indication criteria in our country.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 2,349 patients with skull X-ray performed after mild or moderate head injury. We calculated the total sum of traumatic findings and recorded accessible information about patients.

Results: Skull X-rays were most frequently performed in children younger than five years of age. Altogether 68 abnormalities were described on X-ray. Out of 16 patients with traumatic changes in the neurocranium, five young children were sent for observation to the pediatric department; the remaining patients had a CT scan that confirmed five fissures, including one with subdural hematoma.

Conclusion: Patients with suspected brain injury are indicated for CT examination. Skull X-rays in our study group revealed only a low number of traumatic changes, with most of them found in the splanchnocranium. Czech radiology indication criteria allowing skull X-rays in patients after head trauma with moderate risk of brain injury should be updated to correspond to the European guidelines, i.e. skull X-rays after head injury should not be indicated.

Keywords: skull, diagnostic X-ray, traumatic brain injury

Grants and funding:

Podpořeno IGA UP Olomouc LF_2017_001, MZ ČR - RVO (FNOL, 00098892 a LF UP 61989592).

Accepted: September 15, 2017; Published: September 1, 2017  Show citation