Salted pretzel sign (CT head)
Last revised by Andrew Murphy on 11 Sep 2020
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Citation:
Hacking C, Murphy A, Knipe H, et al. Salted pretzel sign (CT head). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 02 Dec 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-72367
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72367
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Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosuresLast revised:
11 Sep 2020, Andrew Murphy ◉
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Andrew Murphy had no recorded disclosures.
View Andrew Murphy's current disclosuresRevisions:
6 times, by 4 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures
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- 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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