Preliminary Diagnosis: Huntington's Disease
I. What imaging technique is first-line for this diagnosis
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CT scan of the head without contrast
II. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this technique for diagnosis of Huntington's disease.
Advantages
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Less expensive and much faster to perform than MR imaging
Disadvantages
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Less sensitive and specific in detailing any specific caudate head atrophy or identifying, characterizing, and detailing any specific gray or white matter abnormalities
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Exposes the patient to ionizing radiation
III. What are the contraindications for the first-line imaging technique?
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May be contraindicated in pregnant patients
IV. What alternative imaging techniques are available?
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Contrasted MR of the brain
V. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative techniques for diagnosis of Huntington's disease.
Contrasted MR of the brain
Advantages
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Able to much better define, delineate, and characterize the gray and white matter specifically identifying the caudate head compared to CT
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Does not expose patients to ionizing radiation
Disadvantages
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Expensive
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Time-consuming
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Requires significant patient cooperation to minimize motion artifact
VI. What are the contraindications for the alternative imaging techniques?
Contrasted MR of the brain
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Contraindicated in patients with non-MR compatible hardware
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