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Background and Purpose Many studies have explored the possibility of using cranial ultrasound for discerning intracranial pathologies like tumors, hemorrhagic stroke, or subdural hemorrhage in clinical scenarios where computer tomography may not be accessible or feasible. The visualization of intracranial anatomy on B‐mode ultrasound is challenging due to the presence of the skull that limits insonation to a few segments on the temporal bone that are thin enough to allow transcranial transmission of sound. Several artifacts are produced by hyperechoic signals inherent in brain and skull anatomy when images are created using temporal windows. Methods While the literature has investigated the accuracy of diagnosis of intracranial pathology with ultrasound, we lack a reference source for images acquired on cranial topography on B‐mode ultrasound to illustrate the appearance of normal and abnormal structures of the brain and skull. Two investigators underwent hands‐on training in Cranial point‐of‐care ultrasound (c‐POCUS) and acquired multiple images from each patient to obtain the most in‐depth images of brain to investigate all visible anatomical structures and pathology within 24 hours of any CT/MRI imaging done. Results Most reproducible structures visible on c‐POCUS included bony parts and parenchymal structures. Transcranial and abdominal presets were equivalent in elucidating anatomical structures. Brain pathology like parenchymal hemorrhage, cerebral edema, and hydrocephalus were also visualized. Conclusions We present an illustrated anatomical atlas of cranial ultrasound B‐mode images acquired in various pathologies in a critical care environment and compare our findings with published literature by performing a scoping review of literature on the subject.

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Background and Purpose Transcranial ultrasonography (TCU) can be a useful diagnostic tool in evaluating intracranial pathology in patients with limited or delayed access to routine neuroimaging in critical care or austere settings. We reviewed available literature investigating the diagnostic utility of TCU for detecting pediatric and adult patient's intracranial pathology in patients with intact skulls and reported diagnostic accuracy measures. Methods We performed a systematic review of PubMed®, Cochrane Library, Embase®, Scopus®, Web of Science™, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases to identify articles evaluating ultrasound‐based detection of intracranial pathology in comparison to routine imaging using broad Medical Subject Heading sets. Two independent reviewers reviewed the retrieved articles for bias using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tools and extracted measures of diagnostic accuracy and ultrasound parameters. Data were pooled using meta‐analysis implementing a random‐effects approach to examine the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ultrasound‐based diagnosis. Results A total of 44 studies out of the 3432 articles screened met the eligibility criteria, totaling 2426 patients (Mean age: 60.1 ± 14.52 years). We found tumors, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and neurodegenerative diseases in the eligible studies. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of TCU and their 95% confidence intervals were 0.80 (0.72, 0.89), 0.71 (0.59, 0.82), and 0.76 (0.71, 0.82) for neurodegenerative diseases; 0.88 (0.74, 1.02), 0.81 (0.50, 1.12), and 0.94 (0.92, 0.96) for ICH; and 0.97 (0.92, 1.03), 0.99 (0.96, 1.01), and 0.99 (0.97, 1.01) for intracranial masses. No studies reported ultrasound presets. Conclusions TCU has a reasonable sensitivity and specificity for detecting intracranial pathology involving ICH and tumors with clinical applications in remote locations or where standard imaging is unavailable. Future studies should investigate ultrasound parameters to enhance diagnostic accuracy in diagnosing intracranial pathology.

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