RESEARCH ARTICLE
Features of Neurotoxicity on Brain CT of Acutely Intoxicated Unconscious Patients
Morteza Sanei Taheri*, 1, Maryam Noori2, Vahideh Nahvi3, Yashar Moharamzad4
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2010Volume: 4
First Page: 157
Last Page: 163
Publisher ID: TONIJ-4-157
DOI: 10.2174/1874440001004010157
PMID: 21270943
PMCID: PMC3026341
Article History:
Received Date: 5/3/2009Revision Received Date: 5/5/2009
Acceptance Date: 18/5/2009
Electronic publication date: 23/9/2010
Collection year: 2010

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Abstract
Diagnostic imaging is a valuable device in clinical management of poisoned patients presenting to emergency units in a comatose state. Some toxic agents have adverse effects on the central nervous system (CNS). Non-contrast computed tomography (CT) of the brain, as an available diagnostic method with a high resolution, can provide useful information about structural disturbances of unconscious patients with suspected drug or chemical intoxication. The authors would describe various presentations of toxic substances detected on the brain CT scans of ten patients with acute intoxication. While non-specific, CT findings of low-attenuation lesions in the basal ganglia, infarctions in young patients, or diffuse edema should raise suspicion for poisoning or overdose.