Head CT scan (with and without contrast)

The head is scanned twice in one sitting — once plain, once after dye is injected — and the two sets are compared. The plain images show blood and swelling; the dye shows where the brain's protective barrier has broken down, which is how tumors, abscesses and some infections give themselves away.

This explanation has not been reviewed by a person yet.

What it is

Healthy brain tissue is walled off from the bloodstream, so injected dye normally stays in the vessels and does not seep into the brain itself. Where that wall has been damaged — around a tumor, an abscess, an area of inflammation — dye leaks out and that patch turns bright. The only way to know a patch is bright is to have seen it beforehand, which is why this study runs the scanner over the head before the injection and again afterward. The unenhanced pass is not a throwaway either: fresh blood is already bright without any dye, and a plain scan is the one that shows it.

Why it is done

To look for a brain tumor, or to follow one that is already known, and to see how much of it is taking up dye
To investigate a suspected abscess or infection inside the skull
To sort out an abnormality that turned up on a plain head CT and could not be explained without dye
To assess a patient with new neurological symptoms who cannot have an MRI, where CT with and without contrast is the available substitute

What to expect

An IV is placed before the appointment starts, and most centers ask for a few hours without food. The first set of images is taken with nothing injected; then the dye runs and the scanner repeats the sweep. The injection brings a brief warmth and a metallic taste that fade within a minute. The head is held in a padded cradle and stillness matters — even small movements blur the images enough to matter when two sets are being compared to each other. The whole visit is longer than a plain head CT but still typically well under an hour.

Questions worth asking

This one code covers both passes. Does my bill show a single charge, or a plain head CT and a contrast head CT listed separately for the same visit?
A CT angiogram of the head is a different study with a different code. Can someone confirm which one was actually performed?
If an MRI is the better test for my question, what does an MRI of the brain with and without contrast cost here by comparison?
If a follow-up scan is planned to watch something over time, how often, and will each one count fresh against my deductible?

What Head CT scan (with and without contrast) costs by state

Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Texas — 114 hospitals, median $2,277.85
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in California — 90 hospitals, median $2,808.00
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Florida — 71 hospitals, median $5,080.62
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Ohio — 68 hospitals, median $1,248.00
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Illinois — 51 hospitals, median $2,424.60
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Virginia — 43 hospitals, median $1,755.50
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Tennessee — 38 hospitals, median $635.91
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Wisconsin — 33 hospitals, median $1,818.96
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Pennsylvania — 32 hospitals, median $1,300.20
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Washington — 32 hospitals, median $1,371.76
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Iowa — 29 hospitals, median $1,868.86
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Michigan — 27 hospitals, median $2,131.00
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Indiana — 26 hospitals, median $728.00
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Kentucky — 26 hospitals, median $2,304.60
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Georgia — 25 hospitals, median $1,881.36
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Arizona — 23 hospitals, median $431.70
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in New York — 23 hospitals, median $210.66
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in New Jersey — 22 hospitals, median $480.88
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Missouri — 20 hospitals, median $1,426.70
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Minnesota — 19 hospitals, median $2,056.80
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Colorado — 17 hospitals, median $6,941.56
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Oklahoma — 17 hospitals, median $2,137.85
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in West Virginia — 17 hospitals, median $1,235.50
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in North Carolina — 15 hospitals, median $1,942.40
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Nebraska — 13 hospitals, median $1,513.00
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Oregon — 13 hospitals, median $1,033.60
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Arkansas — 11 hospitals, median $1,578.20
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Kansas — 11 hospitals, median $6,248.04
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Mississippi — 11 hospitals, median $867.72
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in South Carolina — 11 hospitals, median $1,630.80
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Maine — 7 hospitals, median $2,409.20
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in South Dakota — 7 hospitals, median $2,618.40
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Alaska — 5 hospitals, median $3,355.56
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Nevada — 4 hospitals, median $2,252.34
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in North Dakota — 4 hospitals, median $2,292.00
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Wyoming — 4 hospitals, median $1,351.65
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Hawaii — 2 hospitals, median $738.56
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Maryland — 2 hospitals, median $107.40
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Montana — 2 hospitals, median $1,296.00
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in New Mexico — 2 hospitals, median $2,391.06
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in Louisiana — 1 hospitals, median $317.46
Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost in New Hampshire — 1 hospitals, median $3,125.30

Head CT scan (with and without contrast) prices at hospitals

See every published price for Head CT scan (with and without contrast): the full national range, the state and hospital breakdowns, and which hospitals charge the least.

Head CT scan (with and without contrast) cost — see all prices →

Sources

RadiologyInfo (RSNA and ACR): CT of the Head (opens in a new tab, leaves healthcosts.net)
MedlinePlus: Head CT scan (opens in a new tab, leaves healthcosts.net)
Wikipedia (opens in a new tab, leaves healthcosts.net)

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