Computed tomographic diagnosis of septic sinus thrombosis and their complications.

The authors report on five cases of septic sinus thrombosis occurring as early complications and/or long-term complications of infections in the head and neck region. The necessity for early diagnosis of this condition by high-resolution CT scanning is emphasized, as it provides a reliable diagnostic tool to evaluate this serious intracranial disease at a relatively early stage, provided an intravenous contrast medium is used. Although MRI represents an interesting new technique in the assessment of intracranial pathology, it cannot be routinely carried out during the acute phase of this condition due to metal life-support systems near the patient.