The Pattern of Computed Tomography Head Scan Findings among Patients with Chronic Headache at the Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

Background: The increasingly indiscriminate use of Computed Tomography (CT) scan in Kenya as an imaging modality in the evaluation of chronic headache, calls for a need to characterise and document the accruing results as to justify the radiological exposure to patients. 

Method: This cross-sectional descriptive study at Kenyatta National Hospital between the period of January 2015 and April 2015 involved a total number of 90 patients that underwent CT scan of head following history of chronic headaches.

 Results: Out of all the patients examined 66.3% (n=60) were of normal findings while 31.5% (n=28) were not normal (p = 0.034). Majority of the patients had not done CT scan previously despite having the chronic headaches 68.5% (n=62) while 30.3 % (n=27) had done the CT scan before.  The majority (80.9%) of the respondents with chronic headache did not consume alcohol.

Conclusion: The yield of positive CT findings in patients with chronic headache is low at KNH and this is in agreement with a number of previous studies elsewhere. Correlation of the CT scan findings with the clinical diagnosis gave a poor yield of significant intracranial pathology in head CT scan among patients with chronic headache bereft of any lateralizing sequel (p=0.005).