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- Title
C1-C2 fractures in asymptomatic elderly patients with minor head trauma: evaluation with a dedicated head CT protocol.
- Authors
Squarza, Silvia; Uggetti, Carla Luisa; Politi, Marco Angelo; Pescatori, Lorenzo Carlo; Bisogno, Raffaele; Campi, Adriana; Reganati, Paolo; Cariati, Maurizio
- Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the frequency and types of upper cervical spine injuries in asymptomatic elderly patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) for the investigation of minor head trauma. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study of 2613 asymptomatic elderly patients with minor head trauma seen between January 2015 and December 2016. We adopted a dedicated head CT protocol that included the C1-C2 region. Results: Of the 2613 patients analyzed, 33 (1.26%) had upper cervical spine injuries, corresponding to 8.37% of the 394 patients with trauma-related findings. Of those 33 patients, 6 had C1 fractures and 27 had C2 fractures. The use of 16- and 128-slice scanners increased the CT dose by 25.0% and 23.7%, respectively. Conclusion: Inclusion of the C1-C2 region in head CT scans allowed us to identify upper cervical spine injuries in 1.26% of asymptomatic elderly patients with minor head trauma. The protocol evaluated helps detect potentially life-threatening injuries and could be adopted for routine use in elderly individuals with minor head trauma.
- Subjects
OLDER patients; HEAD injuries; COMPUTED tomography
- Publication
Radiologia Brasileira, 2019, Vol 52, Issue 1, p17
- ISSN
0100-3984
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1590/0100-3984.2017.0154