Evaluation of Pattern of Lesions Depicted on Brain Computed Tomography (CT) of Patients Presenting with Stroke in a Tertiary Hospital in Northern Nigeria

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at determining the lesions depicted on brain CT scan of stroke patients with its associated sex and age distribution. METHODS: A retrospective cross sectional study was conducted reviewing brain CT scan reports of patients with stroke that were referred for brain CT scan in radiology department of Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe for a period of 16 months from January 2013 to April 2014. Data was collected using a data capture sheet with columns for; Date of examination, CT number, Age, Sex, Request and Findings. Data were generated using 16 slice Philips Brilliance CT scanner (model 453567023331, serial no 1597: USA), and analyzed using Microsoft excel 2010, where descriptive statistic such as, Mean, Standard deviation, Percentages and Frequencies were generated RESULTS: A total of 121 brain CT scan results of patients were reviewed. About 76 (62.80%) males and 45 (37.20%) females, with age ranged from 14-87 years, mean age of 54 year±15. More males were affected with male to female ratio of 1.7:1, and the most common lesions depicted were cerebral infarction (55.40%) followed by cerebral atrophy (26.40%) and the least were Cerebral edema and Cerebella infarction with 0.8% and 1.70% respectively, normal studies were observed in 3.30%. CONCLUSSION: This study revealed that males are mostly affected than females with male to female ratio of 1.7:1, and cerebral infarction and atrophy are the commonest lesions, while cerebral edema and lacuna infarction were the least, with 61-70 years as the mostly affected age group.