CTH

Medical abbreviation · Medical Imaging

CTH
Stands forComputed tomography of the head
CategoriesMedical

CTH stands for Computed tomography of the head, a medical imaging abbreviation.

Emergency department shorthand for a head CT, usually without contrast, ordered for trauma, stroke symptoms, sudden severe headache, altered mental status or a first seizure. It reliably detects acute bleeding, skull fractures and mass effect within minutes.

Example: CTH negative; LP planned to rule out SAH given thunderclap onset over 6 hours ago.

Usage notes

Decision rules such as the Canadian CT Head Rule and, for children, PECARN reduce unnecessary scans after minor head injury. Early ischemic stroke is often invisible on CT, so a normal CTH does not exclude stroke. Formal reports say "CT head" or "head CT".

More medical imaging abbreviations

  • BMD – Bone mineral density
  • CBCT – Cone-beam computed tomography
  • CECT – Contrast-enhanced computed tomography
  • CIN – Contrast-induced nephropathy
  • CT – Computed tomography
  • CTA – Computed tomography angiography
  • CTP – Computed tomography perfusion
  • CTPA – Computed tomography pulmonary angiography
  • CTU – Computed tomography urography
  • CXR – Chest X-ray
  • DBT – Digital breast tomosynthesis
  • DEXA – Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

See all 58 medical imaging abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.