Pattern of Head Computed Tomography Requests and Findings in a Specialist Hospital in Bauchi State, Nigeria

Background: Computed tomography (CT) has become a useful imaging modality in medical imaging and its role is increasing and diversifying in the past decades, most especially in the assessment of head pathologies.   Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the pattern of head computed tomography referrals, requests and findings among patients in State Specialist Hospital, Bauchi State.   Methodology: This study is a prospective cross-sectional study conducted from the month of May to August 2016. Thirty six (36) patients who presented for head CT scan were studied. Data collected include demographic information such as date of examination, age and gender of patients, referring clinic, indications for the examinations, and radiological diagnosis. Statistical analysis were done using SPSS version 21.0. Descriptive statistics were presented and Pearson’s correlation was used to determine the relationship between the findings and referrals. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.   Results: There were 27 (75%) males and 9 (25%) females aged 18 to 94 years. A significant proportion of referrals (69.4 %; n = 25) were patients from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi, a neighbouring tertiary hospital. The highest indication for head CT was head injury due to RTAs (27.8%), with infarction (25%) being the commonest findings.   Conclusion: This study has shown that head injury due to road traffic accidents is the major indication for head CT in Bauchi with the commonest finding being infarction. Computed tomography is a useful modality for diagnosis of various pathologies.   &nbsp

Pattern of Pelvic Ultrasound Request and Findings in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi

Background: Pelvic ultrasonography involves the evaluation of pelvic organs and structures. It is valuable in the diagnosis of pathological conditions which are likely causes of pelvic pain.Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the pattern of pelvic ultrasound request and findings in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the radiology department of ATBUTH. A total of 1,320 ultrasonography records of patients for pelvic examination were reviewed from January 2016 to February 2017,and tabulated according to age, sex, clinical indication and ultrasound findings. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 to determine the mean, frequency and percentages. Pearson’s correlation was used to determine the relationship between clinical indication and ultrasound findings.Results: The age group of 21-30 years and 31- 40 years had the highest frequency (n = 627, 47.5 %) and (n = 321, 24.3%), respectively. Gender distribution were 1158 (87.7 %), for females and 162 (12.3 %) for males. Pelvic pain had the highest indication, 72.3% (n = 955), followed by PID, 9.2% (n = 121), then BPH, 3.4% (n=45) and, ovarian cyst, 2.7 % (n = 36). Conclusion: The highest indication and findings are pelvic pain and pelvic inflammatory diseases, among females while benign prostatic hypertrophy was the highest in males

Establishment of local Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) for radiography examinations in north eastern Nigeria

Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) is an essential optimization tool in radiography and radiological sciences. The objective of the study is to establish DRL for radiography examinations in north eastern Nigeria. A Prospective cross- sectional study conducted in two university teaching hospitals in north eastern Nigeria. Seven hundred and fifty (750) patients were considered for the study. Thermoluminiscent dosimeter (TLD) chips were exposed for each examination. Pearson’s correlation was used to determine the relationship between the dose and anthropotechnical parameters. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. The DRL for PA chest x-ray and lateral were 0.59 mGy and 1.02 mGy, PA skull x-ray and lateral skull x-ray were 1.02 mGy and 1.01 mGy. The DRL for PA elbow and lateral elbow are 0.57 mGy and 1.77mGy. AP shoulder x-ray and lateral were 0.71 mGy and 0.83 mGy The DRL for dorsi-plantar foot and dorsi-plantar oblique foot were 0.58 mGy and 0.61 mGy .AP dorsal spine x-ray and lateral dorsal spine are 1.03 mGy and 1.09 mGy. AP cervical spine and lateral were 0.62 mGy and0.79 mGy. Lumbosacral spine AP and lateral was 1.22 mGy and 1.59 mGy. AP wrist, lateral wrist, AP knee, lateral knee, Abdominal x-ray, pelvic x-ray, hand dorsi-palmar ,hand dorsi-palmar oblique and dental x-ray were 0.52mGy,0.87mGy, 0.50mGy, 0.50 mGy, 0.91 mGy, 1.01 mGy, 0.82 mGy,0.28 mGy, 0.83 mGy and 0.46 mGy respectively. DRLs in this work recorded lower values compared to international established work. Regular dose optimization etiquette’s are required to ensure good practice.Keywords: Diagnostic reference levels, Radiography, Thermoluminiscent dosimeter, Dental, x-rays, Entrance skin dos

Procjena zahtjeva za snimanje i nalaza na temelju MR slika pacijenata u Državnoj specijalističkoj bolnici Bauchi

Background: MRI plays a vital role in diagnosis of diseases. Objectives: To determine the pattern of imaging requests and findings from MRI scans of patients in the Bauchi State Hospital. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study of MRI request forms and findings of 138 patients was conducted from August 2016 to January 2017. MRI scans were performed using a 0.35T Neusoft MRI scanner and reported by a group of consultant radiologists. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics with the computer software SPSS version 22 (IBM, New York, USA). Results: This study revealed that majority of the MRI requests were for lumbosacral spine examinations (n=84, 60.9%), followed closely by MRI of the brain (n=42, 30.4%) and thirdly shoulder and abdomen examinations with a frequency of 4.3% each. Out of 138 MRI scans studied, intervertebral disc prolapse (n=60, 43.5%) was the commonest finding from MRI scans of patients, the second most prevalent finding was L4-L5 degenerative disc disease (n=12, 8.7%). Intramuscular lipoma and basal ganglia edema had a prevalence of 4.3%. Conclusion: The commonest requests were MRI lumbosacral and, in terms of findings, we found intervertebral disc prolapse, L4-L5 degenerative disc disease, basal ganglia edema and intramuscular lipoma as the major findings from MRI scans in Bauchi.Pozadina: MR snimanje ima važnu ulogu kod dijagnosticiranja bolesti. Ciljevi: Odrediti obrazac zahtjeva za snimanje i nalaza na temelju MR slika pacijenata u Državnoj bolnici Bauchi. Metodologija: Prospektivno transverzalno istraživanje obrazaca zahtjeva za MR snimanje i nalaza 138 pacijenata provedeno je od kolovoza 2016. do siječnja 2017. godine. MR slike snimljene su MR skenerom 0.35T Neusoft, a izradila ih je skupina konzultanata radiologa. Podaci su analizirani deskriptivnom statistikom uporabom računalnog programa SPSS, verzija 22 (IBM, New York, SAD). Rezultati: Ovo istraživanje pokazalo je da se većina zahtjeva za MR snimanje odnosila na preglede lumbosakralne kralješnice (n=84, 60,9%), nakon čega slijedi MR mozga (n=42, 30,4%), a zatim pregledi ramena i abdomena (po 4,3% za obje vrste). Od 138 snimljenih MR slika, najčešći nalaz na temelju MR snimanja pacijenata bio je prolaps intervertebralnog diska (n=60, 43,5%), dok je drugi najčešći nalaz bio degenerativna bolest diska L4-L5 (n=12, 8,7%). Intramuskularni lipom i edem bazalnih ganglija imaju prevalenciju od 4,3%. Zaključak: Najčešći zahtjevi odnosili su se na MR snimanje lumbosakralne kralješnice, dok su prolaps intervertebralnog diska, degenerativna bolest diska L4-L5, edem bazalnih ganglija i intramuskularni lipom glavni nalazi na temelju MR snimanja u Bauchiju