Does white matter lucency in a CT scan suggest sinusitis?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have had pain in my neck, ear, head, and eye for a few weeks. I went to the emergency room, and they did a scan without contrast and diagnosed it as sinus. The pain went away for a few days, then came back at the exact location.I wonder what white matter lucency means in my computed tomography (CT) scan.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Let me assure you that the mention of white matter lucency that has caught your attention is not significant and has been explained as "probably related to surrounding skull as well as multiple earrings causing metallic artifact." So you need not worry about that.

There is also no mention of any arterial dissection, which you say you are worried about. Arterial dissection would require a contrast-enhanced scan or an angiogram to evaluate.

In many cases, headaches are attributed to stress, anxiety, and lifestyle hardships, and their CT (computed tomography) show no findings like yours. Regarding ear pain, the CT report (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity) mentions that the mastoids are clear, so that part (ear infection) is ruled out. So, now, you can try to relax into regular life without exploring what else can cause a headache. It has been discovered that there is no disease inside (other than sinusitis).

Wish you all the best.