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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Is There Any Need Of CT Scan After A Head Injury?

Recently my mother in law passes out and hit her head while standing in the kitchen. She states that all she remembered was waking up on the floor. She did not go to the ER for a CT of her head, and continues to be weak and dizzy. She also had mentioned that she feels like she is going to pass out each time she gets up. During her last visit to her Doctors office she had blood work drawn and her vitb12 was low as well as the vitd level. She also had recent scans done and will have her result back on Monday 3/21/11 for possible right lower lobe carcinoma. She is 4 years out from stage 1b right lower lobe removed and a 15cm tumor. Should I continue to encourage her to get a CT of her head?
Thu, 5 May 2016
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Emergency Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
Your mother-in-law has a background of malignancy which has been treated. Now she exhibits signs of dizziness and passing out. She will need aa follow-up scan of her head. If her symptoms have come on all of a sudden following a recent head injury, I would suggest her having an emergency unenhanced CT scan of her head to exclude an acute intracranial injury such as a bleed. If this was unremarkable, she could go on to have an MRI. If her symptoms have been coming on gradually then she will probably not gain any benefit from an unenhanced CT, but will need an MRI of her head/brain to exclude any other pathology such as tumour recurrence.
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  User's Response
HI
Well come to HCM
I really appreciate your concern, if this is the history of syncope then with some malignancy then it is necessary to get done the CT of brain hope this information helps.
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Is There Any Need Of CT Scan After A Head Injury?

Your mother-in-law has a background of malignancy which has been treated. Now she exhibits signs of dizziness and passing out. She will need aa follow-up scan of her head. If her symptoms have come on all of a sudden following a recent head injury, I would suggest her having an emergency unenhanced CT scan of her head to exclude an acute intracranial injury such as a bleed. If this was unremarkable, she could go on to have an MRI. If her symptoms have been coming on gradually then she will probably not gain any benefit from an unenhanced CT, but will need an MRI of her head/brain to exclude any other pathology such as tumour recurrence.