Impact of Computed Tomography Scans on the Risk of Thyroid Disease in Minor Head Injury Patients: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

We investigated the association between head computed tomography (CT) scans and the risk of noncancer thyroid diseases in patients with minor head injury in a Taiwanese healthcare setting. For this retrospective population-based cohort study, the 2009–2013 Longitudinal Health Insurance Database was used to include patients with a minor head injury at admission or emergency visit between 2009 and 2013. Multivariate analysis with a multiple Cox regression model was applied to analyze the data. According to whether a CT scan was conducted within 14 days of admission, patients were divided into a CT scan group (n = 14,041) or a non-CT scan group (n = 34,684). No increased incidence of thyroid diseases was observed in the CT scan group regardless of the number of CT scans performed. The incidence rate ratio for one scan was 1.10 (95% confidence interval: 0.94–1.29) and for two or more scans was 1.09 (95% confidence interval: 0.93–1.28). In conclusion, this population-based cohort study showed that a head CT scan is not associated with increased risk of thyroid disease in patients with minor head injury. The short-term adverse effects on the thyroid could be mild when a regular CT scan is appropriately performed.