Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33487089›Full record

ArticleThe neuroradiology journal2021

Limited usefulness of routine head and neck CT angiogram in the imaging assessment of dizziness in the emergency department.

Angela Guarnizo, Kevin Farah, Daniel A Lelli, Darren Tse, Nader Zakhari

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The neuroradiology journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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  4. Temporal Trends in CT Angiography for Acute Stroke Symptoms.Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine · 2025
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  6. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Angela GuarnizoDepartment of Radiology, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1343-541X
Kevin FarahDepartment of Radiology, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Canada.
Daniel A LelliDepartment of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Canada.
Darren TseDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Canada.
Nader ZakhariDepartment of Radiology, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9990-2420
University of Ottawa · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess the usefulness of head and neck computed tomography angiogram for the investigation of isolated dizziness in the emergency department in detecting significant acute findings leading to a change in management in comparison to non-contrast computed tomography scan of the head.

methodsPatients presenting with isolated dizziness in the emergency department investigated with non-contrast computed tomography and computed tomography angiogram over the span of 36 months were included. Findings on non-contrast computed tomography were classified as related to the emergency department presentation versus unrelated/no significant abnormality. Similarly, computed tomography angiogram scans were classified as positive or negative posterior circulation findings.

resultsOne hundred and fifty-three patients were imaged as a result of emergency department presentation with isolated dizziness. Fourteen cases were diagnosed clinically as of central aetiology. Non-contrast computed tomography was positive in three patients, all with central causes with sensitivity 21.4%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100%, negative predictive value 92.6% and accuracy 92.8%. Computed tomography angiogram was positive for angiographic posterior circulation abnormalities in five cases, and only two of them had a central cause of dizziness, with sensitivity 14.3%, specificity 97.7%, positive predictive value 40%, negative predictive value 91.46% and accuracy 92.1%.

conclusionBoth non-contrast computed tomography and computed tomography angiogram of the head and neck have low diagnostic yield for the detection of central causes of dizziness, However, non-contrast computed tomography has higher sensitivity and positive predictive value than computed tomography angiogram, implying a lack of diagnostic advantage from the routine use of computed tomography angiogram in the emergency department for the investigation of isolated dizziness. Further studies are required to determine the role of computed tomography angiogram in the work-up of isolated dizziness in the emergency department.

Indexed as

DizzinessEmergency Service, HospitalAngiographyHumansRetrospective StudiesTomography, X-Ray Computedcerebral angiogramcomputed tomographyDizzinessvertigo

Identifiers

PMID33487089
PMCPMC8447815
OpenAlexW3121226172

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.