Stroke in Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria: A two-year retrospective study of CT imaging findings

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, most of which occur in low and middle-income countries. Neuroimaging is the cornerstone for guiding its management, and computed tomography (CT) is an established tool for its diagnosis. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine recent CT brain findings among stroke patients in a rural-based, private teaching hospital in south-west Nigeria, and to compare them with previous findings within Africa. Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted for thirty months in the Radiology Department of Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan- Remo, Nigeria. Brain CT images and reports performed between 1st November 2019 and 30th April 2022 were retrieved, processed and analyzed. Results: The patients were 199 males (62.6%) and 119 females (37.4%), with a mean age of 61.7 years. The highest frequency was between the ages of 70 and 74 years. The most frequent presenting complaint was the inability to move (21.5%). Infarcts constituted the majority of lesions while the most frequent CT findings were left-sided hemispheric infarcts (13.7%). Conclusion: The result of the study showed a male preponderance in the incidence of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). There is also a preponderance of ischaemic over haemorrhagic CVA. Left-sided hemispheric lesions are more frequent.