PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Weiss, Sue
AU  - Conway, James J.
TI  - The Hole in the Head: An Artifact of Immediate Brain Imaging
DP  - 1978 Sep 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
PG  - 145--148
VI  - 6
IP  - 3
4099  - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/6/3/145.short
4100  - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/6/3/145.full
SO  - J. Nucl. Med. Technol.1978 Sep 01; 6
AB  - An artifact occasionally found on posterior brain images, recorded in the supine posterior projection immediately following radionuclide angiography, is described. The artifact appears as an avascular area or areas just above the transverse sinuses, suggesting the possibility of a cystic lesion in the posterior aspect of the cerebrum. Since the initial observation, the artifact has been noted in many additional cases. The artifact was thought to be due to decreased perfusion in that portion of the scalp that presses against the camera collimator. This was proved during two studies of brain death in which there were documented absences of cerebral circulation. The “hole-in-the-head” phenomenon was pronounced, since the only circulation recorded was from external carotid perfusion of the scalp images recorded immediately after lifting the head several millimeters from the collimator resulted in disappearance of the artifact as circulation was restored to the compressed area of the scalp. The artifact is related to the patient as well as to technique and an awareness of this may prevent consternation in the interpretation of brain images.