Inland Imaging is able to offer imaging techniques to help diagnose and treat patients suffering from recurrent and painful headaches. Cluster headaches, migraines, and rebound headaches are the most common diagnoses for patients suffering from repeat headaches that you, as the family caregiver, will symptomatically diagnose.

However, in extreme cases, diagnostic medical imaging may be needed to look for more severe causes of a headache. A neuroradiologist may use Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), and Positron Emission Tomography/CT (PET/CT) to aid diagnosing or ruling out a hematoma, brain aneurysms, meningioma (brain tumor), or brain trauma.

Procedures

MRI

MRI uses a combination of radio waves and a magnetic field to obtain remarkably detailed images of the head. MRI images of the head are clearer and more detailed than other imaging methods, enabling the detection of abnormalities that might be obscured by bone on a CT or x-ray.

MRA

An MR angiography (MRA) is an MRI that may be ordered to study the blood vessels and aid in the treatment of brain disorders, stroke, and blood vessel disease. After detection, patients with arterial disease can now even have treatment in the radiology department rather than undergoing surgery in an operating room.

MRA can be used to screen asymptomatic patients with a family history of arterial aneurysm, a ballooning of a vessel wall, and if an aneurysm is found, it can often be treated before serious bleeding occurs.

MRS

Another application of MRI technology is the use of MR spectroscopy (MRS). This technique generates a representation of the chemical composition of a region of the brain rather than producing an image. MRS is a special technique used to characterize the biochemistry of tumors, infarcts, and other pathology. It can be a useful addition to conventional MRI to distinguish tumors, strokes, and other disease.

CT

A CT uses a special x-ray technique to obtain multiple images from different angles and then joins them together using advanced computer technology to show 2 dimensional and even 3 dimensional images.

CTA

Inland Imaging has the unique advantage of offering a CTA or Computed Tomography Angiography to visualize blood flow in arteries and veins throughout the body. This exam is used to screen patients for arterial disease and identify aneurysms or vascular malformations. CT angiography is increasingly employed in the evaluation of patients with acute stroke and produce even more detailed images than MRA.

CT Perfusion

CT perfusion is a technique that evaluates blood flow to the brain and allows neuroradiologists to detect portions of the brain with impaired blood flow. The CT perfusion test is most often used in providing critical information on acute stroke patients.

PET/CT

A Positron Emission Tomography/CT test provides anatomical detail, such as size or location of a mass, and metabolic detail, such as cellular activity of a mass. Inland Imaging’s PET/CT scanner is one of the most powerful imaging tools available for localizing or evaluating head and neck cancer.