Utilization, reliability, and cost effectiveness of cranial computed tomography in evaluating pseudotumor cerebri.

Cranial computed tomography (CT) has reduced the frequency of cerebral angiography from 95% to 32% and pneumoencephalography from 71% to 11% in patients with pseudotumor cerebri. Total hospital stay has been significantly reduced from a mean of 19.6 to 13.3 days and the hospital days required for diagnosis from a mean of 5.8 to 3.4. The diagnostic reliability of CT in pseudotumor cerebri was estimated using Bayes's decision theorem. The combination of CT and radionuclide brain scans provide diagnostic accuracy similar to radiologic contrast studies. The diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri can be adequately established without cerebral angiography and air studies. CT has significantly reduced the morbidity, time, and cost of diagnostic evaluation in these patients.