The role of computed tomography in the assessment of neurologic sequelae of decompression sickness.

Computed tomographic (CT) scans were performed on 47 patients who had received recompression treatment for decompression sickness. A retrospective review of the case notes disclosed that 24 of the 47 patients had symptoms that suggested cerebral involvement. None of the reported CT abnormalities could be correlated with the clinical manifestations at presentation. It was concluded that the CT scan is not a cost-effective investigative tool for the posttreatment evaluation of decompression sickness.