BRAIN COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC FINDINGS OF STROKE PATIENTS IN MAIDUGURI, NORTH-EASTERN NIGERIA.

Background: Stroke is a major neurological condition with high disability and mortality rates in developing countries including Nigeria. Computed tomography (CT) scan is an important imaging modality in confirming the diagnosis of stroke, classifying stroke subtypes and ruling out stroke mimics. Objectives: To determine the CT findings of patients with stroke in Maiduguri, North-eastern Nigeria. Methodology: A retrospective hospital-based study conducted at the Department of Radiology, Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri, North-eastern Nigeria over four-year period from January 2015 to December 2018. All patients were clinically diagnosed with stroke and referred to the department for a brain CT scan. The request forms and CT reports were retrieved from the Archive and analysed. All patients were examined with a 16-slice General Electric CT scanner. Data were analysed using SPSS statistical software version 23. Results: There were 138 patients and out of which, 83 (60%) were males and 55 (40%) females with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. The mean age was 51.6 ± 16.6 years with an age range of 5-85 years and the majority of the patients were middle-aged group. The CT find