Head CT

Computed tomography of the head providing rapid, high-resolution cross-sectional imaging of the brain, skull base, and calvarium. The scan excels at detecting acute haemorrhage, fractures, calcified lesions, and hydrocephalus — situations where speed and bone detail are more important than soft-tissue contrast.

While MRI is the superior modality for most brain parenchymal questions, CT remains the first-line investigation for acute presentations where time matters — suspected stroke with haemorrhage exclusion, head trauma, and acute-onset severe headache. CT completes in under five minutes, requires no patient cooperation beyond brief immobilisation, and detects fresh blood with near-perfect sensitivity. HELIMED's modern multi-slice CT scanner acquires thin axial slices (typically 0.6-1.0 mm) that can be reconstructed in coronal and sagittal planes and in bone-window algorithms for fracture assessment. The radiation dose for a standard head CT is low compared to body CT — approximately 1-2 mSv — and the scanner uses iterative reconstruction algorithms that reduce dose further while maintaining image quality. The scan evaluates grey-white matter differentiation (loss of which indicates early infarction), ventricular size and symmetry, midline shift, extra-axial collections (subdural, epidural, subarachnoid), and the paranasal sinuses and mastoid air cells that fall within the field of view. Contrast-enhanced head CT can be performed when vascular malformation, tumour enhancement, or abscess ring enhancement needs to be assessed. Paediatric sedation for CT is available at the Ceglana 7 location.