14 - Medical Imaging Flashcards
What are the advantages and disadvantages of X-Rays?
Advantages - Fast - View bone - Less radiation than CT
Disadvantages - Can’t see soft tissue - Radiation - 2D
What are the advantages and disadvantages of CT scan?
+ 3D
+ Quick
+ Can see bone and high density
- Cheaper than MRI
- High radiation
- Can’t see soft tissue
What are the advantages and disadvantages of MRI scan?
+ Can see soft tissue and high detail
+ No radiation
- Expensive
- Claustrophobia/Loud
- Slow
- Not good for bones
- Patients with metal implants can’t use (e.g affects pacemaker signals)
- Tissue heating
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a PET scan?
+ Can be combined with CT for greater detail
+ 3D
+ Non-invasive diagnosis (e.g if stent worked)
- Radiation
- Expensive
What are the advantages and disadvantages of fluoroscopy?
+ Live image
+ Can be used for surgical procedures to check placing right
+ Cheap
- Radiation
What are the advantages and disadvantages of ultrasound?
+ No radiation
+ Dynamic
+ Cheap + Fast + 3D + Doppler effect
+ Patients in ICU can use rather than taking them to x-ray
- Poor detail
- Can’t see bone
- User dependable (depends who is interpreting at time)
- Can’t view past air (need jelly)
How does an X-Ray work?
Gamma rays emitted from cathode ray tube at individual. Dense tissue, e.g bone, absorb (attenuate) more x-rays emitted so they are not collected by detector. They appear white on x-ray film.
How do you generate an angiography?
Initial image of area of interest is X-rayed. Inject patient with iodine, which increases density of vessels, and take another image. Subtract the first image from the second image to see just the vessels.
How does a CT (computed tomography) work?
Emitter and receiver spin around the patient taking lots of x-ray pictures. Combined by computer to form 3D image. Most dense area is white, least dense is black.
What is attenuation measured in?
Hounsfield units, given a colour on the grey scale. Bone is white and air is black.
How does PET (positron emission tomography) work?
Radioactively labelled is eaten or injected. Glucose taken up by highly metabolic cells, e.g cancer. Scanned so areas with high radioactivity can show where glucose is. Combined with CT for 3D.
How does fluoroscopy work?
Continuous x-ray beam takes series of x-rays and combines them to form a ‘movie’. They are dynamic. Can be used with contrast to see movement of substance.
How does MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) work?
Uses hydrogen ions. Nuclei spin randomly. Magnetic field produced by MRI causes atoms to spin only north and south, in pairs. Few unmatched atom not in pairs. Radio frequency pulse applied and this gives unmatched atoms energy to flip. Pulse removed and atoms flip back to original to, releasing energy in form of radio waves. Energy sends signal to computer which uses mathematical formula to form an image.
How does an ultrasound work?
Ultrasonic frequency emitted by probe. Sound waves travel into tissue and then when they meet a change in density they are reflected. Reflections are detected and converted into image based on time taken to return.
How can you improve ultrasound resolution?
Increase the frequency of waves, more reflections. However won’t be able to reach as much depth, e.g if fetus.
What can PET be used to diagnose?
- Cancer
- Brain activity (dementia, epilepsy)