Salted pretzel sign (CT head)
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Hacking C, Sharma R, Murphy A, et al. Salted pretzel sign (CT head). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 13 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-72367
rID:
72367
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Rohit Sharma had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Rohit Sharma's current disclosures
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4 contributors -
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Synonyms:
- Salted pretzel sign
The salted pretzel sign is an uncommon sign of the presence of numerous small (<3 mm) calcific foci in the distal branches of a cerebral artery on non-contrast CT head that represent a shower of calcified cerebral emboli 1. Cerebral calcified emboli may be the initial manifestation of significant vascular or cardiac disease 2 and prompts cardiovascular workup.
References
- 1. Christian BA, Kirzeder DJ, Boyd J, Laing J, Gash JR. Showered calcific emboli to the brain, the 'salted pretzel' sign, originating from the ipsilateral internal carotid artery causing acute cerebral infarction. (2009) Stroke. 40 (5): e319-21. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.108.538009 - Pubmed
- 2. Walker BS, Shah LM, Osborn AG. Calcified cerebral emboli, a "do not miss" imaging diagnosis: 22 new cases and review of the literature. (2014) AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology. 35 (8): 1515-9. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A3892 - Pubmed
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