Multiple angle examination with CT scan

With the recent technological advance of the CT scanner, most of the available CT scanners can examine the brain at various angles. We cut and examined more than 400 normal brains at almost all angles from 0° to 180° from the canthomeatal line. In general, we have found that the sections done at 110° and 140° to be the most useful. Good views of the motor and sensory cortex, the superior temporal gyrus, the middle temporal gyrus, the midbrain and hypothalamus are obtained with these sections. We strongly recommend additional cuts at 110° and 140°, since proper evaluation of the base of the brain at the routine 15° angle is difficult due to many artifacts. A few 50° cuts may complement the CT study also. This angle is parallel to the brain stem and provides good visualization of the brain stem structures. Additional views of the ventricular system are also obtained. As the structures in the brain are very complicated a single angle examination may show the lesion and the surrounding structures poorly. Our study provides the data that will determine the best angle to be utilized for each structure in the brain on CT examination.