Färre DT och fler MR vid skallundersökning på små barn. Svårt avgöra om larmrapport påverkat val av metod, visar studie från Lund

In January 2004, Per Hall et al in an article in British Medical Journal stated that children under the age of 18 months, who underwent CT of the brain, could get negative effects on cognitive abilities in adulthood. At the Department of Radiology, Lund University Hospital, 55 children under the age of 18 months underwent CT of the brain during 2004 compared to 70 children in 2003. MRI of the brain in the same age group increased in number from 52 in 2003, to 63 in 2004. CT of the brain after head trauma decreased with almost 50 % in 2004, compared to 2003. MRI is now the modality of choice for elective radiological evaluation of the brain in small children. However, CT is recommended as an emergency examination in head trauma to obtain a diagnosis without delay and to enable detection of child abuse. If the child already has undergone one or several CT examinations of the brain, MRI should be preferred to avoid further exposure to ionizing radiation. Optimization of radiation dose levels for CT of the brain in children is needed.