The Role of MR Imaging and MR Angiography in the Evaluation of Patients with Headache
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2020.4842Keywords:
Headache, Magnetic resonance imaging, Magnetic resonance angiographyAbstract
BACKGROUND: Headache is one of the most common complaint in medical practice and the most often neurological symptom.
AIM: The aim of our study was to estimate the frequency of abnormal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) findings in patients with non-acute headache without focal neurological abnormalities.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The results of the MRI and MRA were retrospectively analyzed. As major abnormalities, we took into account tumor, stroke, extraaxial collection, Chiari malformations, and vascular pathology (aneurysm and arterial-venous malformation).
RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-five patients fulfilled the criteria. Out of 225 patients with median age of 37 (18–85) years, 78% of the patients were female and 22% were male. In total, we found 8.4% of major abnormalities. On MRI head scan without MRA analysis, we found 50.7% of normal finding, 47.1% of minor abnormalities and 2.2% of major abnormalities. On MRA scan, we found we found 52.9% of normal finding, 40.9% of minor abnormalities, and 6.2% of major abnormalities.
CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates a low but important diagnostic yield of MRI and MRA examination for patients with non-acute headache without focal neurological abnormalities.
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Copyright (c) 2020 Tomislav Pavlović, Sanja Trtica, Marina Milošević, Hrvoje Budinčević, Igor Borić (Author)
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