Characterization of Computerized Tomographic findings In Traumatic head Injured PatientsIn Jos, North Central,Nigeria

Abstract

Background:Head traumais a major health problem which is becoming increasingly a burden on the already stressed accident and emergency services of hospitals in Nigeria especially in the Northcentral part of Nigeria due to heightened insurgent activities. It is associated with significant long term morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study was to characterize and establish patternof computed tomographic features in patients with head trauma in Jos metropolis. Methods: We prospectively evaluated CT findings in 110 patients between the ages of one and eighty years who were sent to the Radiology department of JUTH for CTbrain with history of head trauma. Results: There were 81 males and 29 females with a mean age of 33.4years (SD26.5).Cerebral contusion, fractures, and Intracranial haemorrhage, were the commonest CT features in subjects and accounted for 21. 8% , 19.3%and13.7.8%,for cerebral contusion, fractures and intracranial haemorrhage respectively. The age ranges of 21 to 40 years were mostly affected accounting for 45.4% of cases with 37.3% male subjects. 16.4% of the subjects were children under the age of ten. Conclusions: this study has clearly demonstratedthat cerebral contusion,intracranial haemorrhage and fracture are the commonest computed tomographic features seen in this region among head injured patients and these involve men mostly in their reproductive and sexually active ages.