Cranial computed tomography imaging of patients with stroke in a tertiary facility

Background: Neuroimaging plays an important role in stroke management by providing information to accurately triage patients, expedite clinical decision with regard to treatment, and in improving outcomes in patients presenting with stroke. The aim of this study is to determine the spectrum of computed tomography (CT) findings in patients with stroke with respect to the type of lesion, location, and possible risk factors. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study with data compiled from medical files and cranial CT scan images of 148 patients clinically diagnosed with stroke conducted over a period of 36 months from the Department of Radiology, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital. Results: There were 148 patients with complete data who were clinically diagnosed with stroke. From cranial CT findings, 56.1% of patients studied had cerebral infarct, 41.2% hemorrhage, and 2.7% normal findings. The gender distribution of cranial CT findings was not statistically significant (P = 0.09 for males and P = 0.07 for females). The parietal lobe was the most affected site for hemorrhage and infarcts accounting for 31.1% and 49.4%, respectively. The cerebellum was the least affected site. The two most commonly documented risk factors identified in this study were hypertension and diabetes mellitus accounting for 61.9%. Conclusion: Cerebral infarct was the most common computed tomographic finding among patients with stroke, and the parietal lobe was the most common location for infarct and hemorrhage. Hypertension was a major risk factor for stroke. CT is an important imaging modality for diagnosis, differentiating infarct from hemorrhage in stroke management.