By Dr Satish Shambarkar on Tuesday, 09 August 2022
Category: MRI Second Opinion

Confusion over MRI Brain and CT Head in evaluating Traumatic Brain Injury -TBI

The most popular modality for local hospitals in the rural and Suburbs area is CT Scan for various reasons. However let the experience of a referring doctor or radiologist guide the patients for MRI Brain or CT Brain modality in case of Brain Injury.

he availability and visibility of CT scan options for the patient is more logical. CT scan has economic competition with MRI scan. It needs less investment in CT set-ups than in MRI set-up. It creates more attractive proposals for local hospitals where only X-ray or USG facilities are available. Because machines are more in numbers, CT scans are cheaper than MRI scans. CT brains are overly reliant during Brain Injury by local doctors even if patients afford MRI scan procedures. It needs to educate the local doctors and make the patients aware of over reliance of CT scans especially in brain investigations. Let's talk to a senior radiologist to know the contrasting situation of CT head and MRI brain. Experience is the key to know which test can be more effective in situations.

During Traumatic Brain Injury, CT scans play a role in such as large-volume hemorrhage, herniation, and infarction. CT has limitations in finding collection of blood accumulating in the subdural spaces inside the brain area. There are particular requirements of highly sensitive modality like MRI in finding out better non-hemorrhagic cortical contusions."

by Dr Ray, a Senior Radiologist who is a registered radiologist consultant at TeleradiologyHub amongst 500 consultants. He points out that CT scans are best in some cases​.

MRI brain therefore is much better in judging the Traumatic brain injuries like primary and secondary injuries that require neurosurgical intervention. CT Scans can act to triage the diagnostics outcomes but could be overused in some conditions.

TeleradiologyHub has more than 500 experienced radiologists from 24 countries who are ready to help the patients with second opinion or reading MRI Brain and also help the patients with free interpretation after MRI Brain and CT brain scans are conducted. 

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