[Influence of the computed tomography in brain disorders. Retrospective study of 10,000 investigations (author's...

On the basis of 10,000 examinations conducted over a period of 4 years and 7 weeks (1974-1979), the authors quantify the influence of computed tomography on neuroradiological diagnostic procedures. Findings during operation, at autopsy, or from follow-up over a sufficiently long period, are used to compare the diagnoses established after computed tomography with those suggested by other investigational methods. The regular increases in pathological observations demonstrates the increasingly precise selection of patients orientated towards the scanner. Computed tomography significantly reduces the frequency of invasive neuroradiological explorations, with both medical and socio-economic consequences. Computed tomography is greatly superior to morphological scintigraphic investigations.