Abdominal Imaging Flashcards
What is the most common imaging used to view the abdomen?
CT Scan
How much more radiation is used in a CT scan compared to an X-Ray?
10 - 100x more
What are two contra-indications for the use of a CT scan?
Allergy
Contrast induced Nephropathy
What is a CT scan used to help differentiate?
Soft Tissue
Organs
Specific type of CT scan with contrast that can be used to highlight either veins or arteries.
Angiogram (arteries)
Venogram (veins)
Consists of an obliquely or horizontally oriented row of small gas bubbles in the abdomen, which represent small pockets of gas along the superior wall of the small bowel that are trapped between plicae circulares.
String of Pearls
What would you expect in a patient that presents with String of Pearls sign on a X-ray of the abdomen?
Small Bowel Obstruction
When a small bowel obstruction occurs, both fluid and gas collect in the intestine and produce a characteristic pattern called what?
Air-Fluid Levels
Type of bowel obstruction where the hausfrau do not cross the lumen of the bowel.
Large Bowel Obstruction
What percentage of obstruction do large bowel obstructions account for?
20%
Free intraperitoneal gas is an expected finding after certain diagnostic and surgical procedures like a laparoscopy. This air usually resolves in 3 - 4 days, however, if there is a perforation in the GI tract permitting air to escape into the peritoneum, what is this called and why do we care?
Pneumoperitoneum
(MEDICAL EMERGENCY)
Where is air located in a pneumoperitoneum?
Under the Diaphragm
What is the chief cause of pneumoperitoneum?
Duodenal Ulcers
Most common type of Hiatal Hernia where the gastroesophageal junction is pulled above the diaphragm.
Sliding Type
Irregular luminal thickening of the colon may mean what?
Colon Cancer
A sign that is commonly seen on an abdominal imaging in patients with Colon Cancer.
Apple Core Sign
