Can brain MRI for emergency imaging of dizziness be more effective?

Predictors for acute conditions such as stroke could make brain MRI a better choice in patients who present in the emergency department with dizziness or vertigo, according to research published April 11 in the American Journal of Neuroradiology. A team led by Tatu Happonen, MD, of the University of Turku in Finland found that factors such as older age, male sex, cardiovascular risk level, and particular neurologic signs appear to help clinicians better determine whether a patient could benefit from MR imaging -- thus reducing unnecessary exams. "Acute dizziness and vertigo remain challenging even when emergency MR imaging is readily available," the group noted. "[Our study found that only] one in four patients had acute pathology on MR imaging … [but] predictors for acute pathology (older age, male sex, cardiovascular risk factors, and neurologic signs) may aid in patient selection for MR imaging, optimizing the yield and clinical impact of emergency neuroimaging." "Patients exhibiting acute dizziness or vertigo often represent a diagnostic challenge," Happonen and colleagues noted. "Despite many patients being diagnosed with a benign peripheral vestibular disorder, some patients may need neuroimaging to rule out central causes of dizziness … [but] stroke, particularly vertebrobasilar acute ischemic stroke, is the primary differential diagnosis among central causes and is diagnosed in [only] … 3% to 5% of all emergency visits for dizziness and vertigo." Happonen an...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: MRI Neuroradiology Source Type: news