Overview of Pediatric Cranioencephalic Computed Tomography Examinations at the Ouahigouya Regional University Hospital Center, 2023-2024

Objective : To study the practice of cranio-encephalic computed tomography (CT in children at the medical imaging department of the Ouahigouya Regional University Hospital Center, from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024. Materials and Methods : We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection. The study ran from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, at the medical imaging department of the Ouahigouya Regional University Hospital Center. Results : We included 403 reports. The sex ratio was 1.36. Mean patient age was 56.60 months. Most patients came from the health districts of Ouahigouya (78.61%). The main referring departments were neurosurgery (45.57%) and pediatrics (28.61%). The leading indications were head trauma (38.21%), delayed or regressing psychomotor development (14.39%), and seizures (14.14%). Mean radiation doses for the age groups under 1 year, 1 to 5 years, 5 to 10 years, and 10 to 15 years were 1121.67 mGy.cm, 1343.28 mGy.cm, 1431.04 mGy.cm, and 1525.65 mGy.cm, respectively. CT findings were abnormal in 61.79% of cases. The most common CT lesions were traumatic (24.56%), followed by malformative (16.87%) and degenerative (15.14%) findings. The indication matched the CT findings in 62% of cases. Conclusion : Radiation doses delivered to children were markedly higher than diagnostic reference levels. MRI, the preferred technique for pediatric brain imaging, deserves wider use.