Headache
Acute stroke
Chronic headaches
Seizures
ICH suspicion
Mass
Trauma
AMS
Hydrocephalus
CT before MRI: indications
Acute stroke
Acute headache
If unable to complete MRI in all other indications
Brain window
Used to evaluate densities that are close to the density of the brain tissue
Provides limited information on bone structures
Bone window
Assesses densities that are close to the same as bone density
Axial plane
Flat, looking through skull from top down
Coronal plane
Looking through skull standing up
Sagittal plane
Looking through skull from the side
White matter
More centrally located
Appears darker due to lower density
Contains myelinated axons
Gray matter
More externally located
Appears gray due to higher density
Contains fewer myelinated axons but more cell bodies
Hypodense
Appear darker than normal brain tissue
Can be infarcted tissue, air, or edema