Computed Tomography in Patients with Psychiatric Illnesses: Advantage of a "Rule-In" Approach

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Computed tomography (CT) is used commonly to rule-out disease. In 123 consecutive patients with psychiatric diseases in 3 institutions, 105 CT scans (85.4%) interpreted as normal or normal except for atrophy did not influence management, only reassured clinicians and patients. Incidental and false positive findings were more numerous than true positive findings. All 6 true positive findings occurred in patients with focal findings on neurologic examination; 4 led to management changes. Computed tomography is a sensitive diagnostic method that may detect more false and incidental positive findings when used somewhat unselectively to rule-out disease. In these patients, a rule-in approach based on focal findings on neurologic examination suggesting structural intracranial abnormalities would have been less expensive and more effective.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: