My Dr. ordered a CAT scan. while another dr ordered a MRI for the same thing.?

WHat is the difference? what will a cat scan show that an mri wont, I was shopping and a couple of full boxes fell on my head, have had headache for a couple days now.

An MRI will produce images in any plane of the body, it is particularly useful for examining the central nervous system and enables the noninvasive diagnosis and treatment planning of a wide range of diseases.

A cat scan shows soft tissue. In the skull it can show pathalogical conditions such as tumours, abscesses and haematomas.

I think the doctors are covering all bases so as not to miss anything. I think this is prudent.

The thing is this: if there is any bleeding in the brain, the MRI will show it. A CT scan will show it only if it is large enough, still active, or old. Newer injury to the brain is better on MRI. MRI is a lot more expensive - and I have heard that MRIs are always refused by insurance companies until you complain to them. If you're interested about a possible skull fracture, just opt for the CT. It's cheaper and a LOT faster.

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