Computed Tomography Scan Findings of Patients Presenting With Headache at Tripura Medical College and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Teaching Hospital, Hapania, Agartala, Tripura- A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

BACKGROUNDHeadache is one of the causes of discomfort to a human being and can be classified as primary or secondary headache. CT scan has proved to be useful when the neurological physical examination is abnormal. The aim of the study is to-1. Determine the causes of headache of patients presenting with nontraumatic headache by CT scan at Tripura Medical College and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Teaching Hospital, Hapania, Agartala, West Tripura. 2. Correlate the clinical diagnosis and the CT scan findings of patients with nontraumatic headache. MATERIALS AND METHODSA total of 157 patients presented with nontraumatic headache underwent CT scan examination in the Radiodiagnosis Department of Tripura Medical College and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Teaching Hospital, Hapania, Agartala, West Tripura and scans were viewed for the presence of any secondary cause of headache and findings were expressed as frequency and percentage. Statistical Analysis-The data were entered in spreadsheet and analysed using SPSS 21 statistical software. Results were expressed as frequency and percentage. RESULTSIn our study, female patients (50.96%) were slightly more than the male (49.04%) patients and majority of the patients were in the age group of >20 to ≤40 years (54.14%) followed by >40 to ≤60 years (25.47%).Primary headache (73.89%) was found to be more common than secondary headache (26.11%). Sinusitis (73.17%) was the commonest cause of secondary headache. Prevalence of positive CT scans of patients presenting with headache was 26.11%. Most of the clinical diagnosis did not correlate (61.78%) with the CT scan finding. Patients with clinical diagnosis of migraine correlates mostly with the CT scan finding (69.44%), which is one of commonest cause of primary headache where we got negative findings in CT scan followed by sinusitis (38.77%), CVA/ICH (cerebrovascular accident and intracerebral haemorrhage) 32.25% and brain SOL (25%). CONCLUSIONCT scan has a role in determining the cause of headache. Primary headache is more common than secondary headache. CT scan has a significant role in detecting intracranial pathology in patient presenting with headache associated with abnormal neurological function.