EXPRESS: BENEFITS OF CONTRAST-ENHANCED COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY OVER PLAIN COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY FOR HEAD TRAUMA IN 41 CATS

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) provides clinically useful information beyond Plain computed tomography (PCT) in cats with head trauma, and whether this benefit is influenced by the radiologist's level of experience. METHODS: Forty-one cats that underwent head CT with both pre- and post-contrast sequences were included. Images were independently reviewed by three radiologists with different experience levels, assessing extracranial soft tissue injuries, bone fractures, and intracranial abnormalities. Intra- and interobserver agreements were analyzed using Cohen's kappa statistics. RESULTS: Substantial to almost perfect agreement was obtained for extracranial soft tissue injuries and bone fractures. The most commonly fractured sites were the temporomandibular joints, hard palate, mandibular bones, and pterygoid bones. For intracranial lesions such as hemorrhage and cerebral edema, intra- and interobserver agreements were low and variable, regardless of contrast use or reviewer experience. There was no significant difference found between PCT and CECT for any of the three categories. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These results suggest that contrast medium injection is not useful for assessment of bone fractures and extracranial soft tissue and that computed tomography of the head is poorly reliable for intracranial lesions in cats presented for trauma.