Canadian Association of Radiologists journal = Journal l'Association canadienne des radiologistes
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A retrospective study was performed at two teaching hospitals--one in the United States and one in Canada--to determine the results of computed tomography (CT) examinations of the head in patients with nontraumatic headache. Of 1111 examinations performed over a 3-year period, 120 (10.8%) demonstrated an acute intracranial abnormality, such as hemorrhage, infarction or tumour; the frequency of such abnormalities was highest among inpatients and subjects over 40 years of age. ⋯ Chronic abnormalities, such as cerebral atrophy or remote infarction, were the most significant findings in 202 (18.2%) of the cases. The cost of finding each case of acute intracranial abnormality was $5962 (US); for subarachnoid hemorrhage among patients in the emergency department, it was $15,837 (US).