OBJECTIVE: To identify and analyze the prevalence of cranial computed tomography findings in patients admitted to the emergency unit of Hospital Universitário Cajuru. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study analyzing 200 consecutive non contrast-enhanced cranial computed tomography reports of patients admitted to the emergency unit of Hospital Universitário Cajuru. RESULTS: Alterations were observed in 76.5% of the patients. Among them, the following findings were most frequently observed: extracranial soft tissue swelling (22%), bone fracture (16.5%), subarachnoid hemorrhage (15%), nonspecific hypodensity (14.5%), paranasal sinuses opacification (11.5%), diffuse cerebral edema (10.5%), subdural hematoma (9.5%), cerebral contusion (8.5%), hydrocephalus (8%), retractable hypodensity /gliosis/ encephalomalacia (8%). CONCLUSION: The authors recognize that the most common findings in emergency departments reported in the literature are similar to the ones described in the present study. This information is important for professionals to recognize the main changes to be identified at cranial computed tomography, and for future planning and hospital screening aiming at achieving efficiency and improvement in services.

Keywords: Computed tomography; Craniocerebral trauma; Imaging diagnosis.