Direct intracranial sagittal and coronal CT scanning: anatomy and pathology.

The application of whole-body scanners with a wide aperture cone to neuroradiology permits examination of the head in the sagittal plane. This method yields better definition of anatomic structures such as the inner and outer supra- and infratentorial cerebrospinal fluid spaces, the major vessels, and all structures of the posterior fossa close to the midline with negligible artifacts. By mono-, bi-, or triplanar approaches, intracranial pathology can be demonstrated exactly with respect to the major anatomic landmarks, without the disadvantages of multiplanar reconstructed views. In combination with an altered positioning for coronal scanning, optimal biplane evaluation of the sellar region is possible. Additional cisternal enhancement studies in variants of empty sella and brainstem tumors may not always be necessary. The sagittal section, like the coronal, can be placed lateral to metallic clips for early detection of tumor recurrence. Limitations are discomfort in positioning and a degradation of image quality caused by metal amalgam fillings.