CT scout films: don't forget to look!

BACKGROUND: A lateral scout view of the head is always obtained when performing head computed tomography (CT). It is common knowledge that viewing the lateral scout view may provide additional information. For a variety of reasons, however, a careful review may not be performed routinely.

OBJECTIVE: To illustrate the value of the lateral scout view, we present a series of representative cases.

PATIENTS: Six patients with clinically relevant findings on the scout view.

RESULTS: Most of the ancillary findings were in the upper cervical spine/neck, which is typically included on the lateral scout view.

CONCLUSION: Careful evaluation of the scout view of the head CT, including the skull and neck, may yield valuable information, which may not be visualized on the axial CT images.