Head CT: Toward Making Full Use of the Information the X-Rays Give.

Although clinical head CT images are typically interpreted qualitatively, automated methods applied to routine clinical head CTs enable quantitative assessment of brain volume, brain parenchymal fraction, brain radiodensity, and brain radiomass. These metrics gain clinical meaning when viewed relative to a reference database and expressed as quantile regression values. Quantitative imaging data can aid in objective reporting and in the identification of outliers, with possible diagnostic implications. The comparison to a reference database necessitates standardization of head CT imaging parameters and protocols. Future research is needed to learn the effects of virtual monochromatic imaging on the quantitative characteristics of head CT images.