Cardiothoracic and vascular Flashcards
1
Q
- A 50 year old male presents with a history of occasional haemoptysis and exertional
shortness of breath which has been getting progressively worse. Plain chest radiograph
demonstrates bibasal reticular shadowing with volume loss. HRCT demonstrates bibasal
fibrosis and traction bronchiectasis. Incidental note is made of a patulous oesophagus.
Which of the following is the most likely cause?
a. Tuberculosis
b. SLE
c. Rheumatoid arthritis
d. Wegener’s granulomatosis
e. Scleroderma
A
- e. Scleroderma
Whilst haemoptysis may be a presentation in tuberculosis and Wegener’s and bibasal
fibrosis maybe seen in all of the above except tuberculosis (where apical fibrosis is the
more likely feature), scleroderma is the only condition resulting in a patulous lower
oesophageal sphincter, oesophageal shortening and stricture formation.
2
Q
- A 35 year old woman presents with chest infection and pyrexia and the plain film reveals
dense lobar consolidation with bulging fissures. The likely micro-organism is:
a. Legionella pneumophila
b. Pneumocystis carinii
c. Staphylococcus
d. Streptococcus
e. Klebsiella
A
- e. Klebsiella
Klebsiella causes a dense pneumonia with bulging of fissures often associated with an
empyema. Pneumococcal pneumonitis can also mimic this.
3
Q
- A 40 year old has a routine chest radiograph as a part of pre-immigration work up. This
demonstrates a mass on the left with loss of the upper left heart border. The descending
aorta can, however, be seen despite the mass. Which of the following is the most likely
location of the mass?
a. Apico-posterior segment
b. Lingula
c. Anterior segment of the upper lobe
d. Posterior basal segment of the lower lobe
e. Lateral basal segment of the lower lobe
A
- b. Lingula
This is an example of the silhouette sign where an anteriorly located lingular mass results
in loss of the upper left heart border but preservation of the outline of the posterior
descending aorta.
4
Q
- In an investigation for lung malignancy, all of the following may produce a false positive
result on a PET-CT except:
a. Pulmonary hamartoma
b. Intralobar sequestration
c. Tuberculosis
d. Pneumonia
e. Scarring
A
- b. Intralobar sequestration
Active tuberculosis, consolidation, atypical pulmonary hamartomas and scars may cause
false positive results. Uncomplicated sequestration will not demonstrate FDG uptake.
5
Q
- A 70 year old man, previously working in a ship-building yard, presents with progressive
breathlessness. Chest radiograph demonstrates bilateral calcified pleural plaque disease with volume loss. Lung function shows a restrictive pattern. HRCT reveals pulmonary fibrosis. The most likely site of these changes would be:
a. Perihilar
b. Apical
c. Peribronchial
d. Subpleural
e. Fissural
A
- d. Subpleural
Pulmonary fibrosis associated with asbestos exposure is seen mainly in a subpleural
distribution towards the lung bases.
6
Q
- A 35 year old man undergoes autologous bone marrow transplantation following
successful treatment of lymphoma. Two weeks later he develops scattered bilateral
progressive breathlessness and dry cough. HRCT demonstrates several areas of bilateral
ground glass changes with associated reticular changes, but no effusions. What is the
most likely explanation?
a. Angioinvasive aspergillosis
b. Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia
c. CMV pneumonia
d. Drug toxicity
e. Pulmonary oedema
A
- d. Drug toxicity
Post transplant pulmonary complications may develop in up to 40–60% of patients. In the
first two weeks or so after transplantation, neutropaenia is the underlying cause for most of
these. Angioinvasive aspergillosis presents in the first two to three weeks, usually as multiple
ground glass nodules with or without cavitation and peribronchiolar consolidation.
Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (LIP) is a late-phase complication usually seen more than
three months after transplantation and may be an indication of chronic graft-versus-host
response. CMV pneumonia may manifest at any time in the first 100 days after transplantation
Multiple nodules with associated ground glass changes or consolidation are usually seen, but
reticular change is not a feature. Pulmonary oedema is also seen in the neutropaenic phase in
the first two to three weeks. Whilst ground glass changes and interstitial lines are seen in
pulmonary oedema, associated pleural effusion is common.
Drug toxicity due to a variety of chemotherapeutic agents is seen in the neutropaenic
phase as a combination of ground glass and reticular changes.
7
Q
- A 67 year old man presents with abdominal discomfort three months after endovascular
repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The patient undergoes a non-contrast CT
followed by an arterial phase study. There is high attenuation on the non-contrast study
between the stent and the aortic wall, which enhances further in the arterial phase. The
graft itself is intact, as are the attachment sites. Which of the following is the most likely
cause for the appearance?
a. Type I endoleak
b. Type II endoleak
c. Type III endoleak
d. Graft infection
e. Dissection
A
- b. Type II endoleak
Type II endoleaks are due to retrograde flow from the small branches of the aorta such as
the lumbar arteries. A Type I endoleak is due to a seal failure at either end, type III is due to
a defect in the graft and type IV is due to graft porosity.
8
Q
- A 16 year old with headache and hypertension has a chest radiograph which demonstrates
plain radiographic signs of coarctation of the aorta. Further investigations reveal
anomalous post-coarctation origin of the right subclavian artery. The ribs most likely to
demonstrate inferior rib notching would be:
a. Left third to ninth ribs
b. Bilateral third to ninth ribs
c. Right third to ninth ribs
d. Bilateral first and second ribs
e. Left first and second ribs
A
- a. Left third to ninth ribs
Due to the anomalous origin of the right subclavian artery from the post-coarctation
segment, there is no collateral flow to the intercostal arteries on the right. Subsequently,
there is no right-sided rib notching.
9
Q
- A 38 year old man with progressive dyspnoea and chest pain undergoes an echocardiogram
which reveals a pedunculated intracardiac mass which is hypointense to myocardium on
T1-weighted images and markedly hyperintense on T2-weighted images. The most likely
intracardiac location of the lesion would be:
a. Right atrium
b. Right ventricle
c. Left atrium
d. Under-surface of tricuspid valve
e. Anterior papillary muscle
A
- c. Left atrium
The case describes an atrial myxoma, which is more common in the left atrium (75–80%
of cases). These tumours are usually attached to the inter-atrium septum.
10
Q
- A 56 year old female is found to have a small, well-defined anterior mediastinal mass on
a chest radiograph which demonstrates homogeneous soft-tissue density with some
peripheral calcification on CT. On MRI it is isointense to skeletal muscle on T1-weighted
images and slightly increased signal on T2-weighted images. It is most likely to be:
a. Thymic cyst
b. Thymoma
c. Thymolipoma
d. Thymic hyperplasia
e. Thymic carcinoma
A
- b. Thymoma
This case describes the typical features of a thymoma. Thymic hyperplasia and thymic
carcinoma are usually ill-defined abnormalities. The signal from the lesion is not typical for
a thymic cyst or thymolipoma.
11
Q
- A 51 year old man with long standing history of an erosive arthropathy of the acromioclavicular
joints and bilateral arthropathy in his hands subsequently develops progressive
shortness of breath. The most likely abnormality on his chest radiograph would be:
a. Cavitating nodules
b. Peripheral basal reticulonodular shadowing
c. Cardiomegaly
d. Bronchiectasis
e. Pleural effusion
A
- e. Pleural effusion
Pleural effusion is the commonest thoracic manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis, much
more common in men (M:F¼9:1). It is unilateral in the vast majority of cases. The fluid is
an exudate with low sugar content and is often seen in the absence of other pulmonary
changes.
12
Q
- A 22 year old is diagnosed with tuberculosis. Which of the following features will make
a diagnosis of primary tuberculosis more likely?
a. Mediastinal enlargement
b. Septal thickening
c. Upper zone cavitation
d. Miliary nodules
e. Apical consolidation
A
- a. Mediastinal enlargement
Mediastinal lymph node enlargement is a feature of primary TB. The others are seen with
reactivation or fibrocavitary TB. Miliary TB can be seen in any phase with haematogenous
dissemination but primary presentation is uncommon
13
Q
- A 26 year old man suffers a blunt injury to his chest in a road traffic accident. The most
common abnormality seen on CT as a result of blunt thoracic injury is:
a. Pneumothorax
b. Pulmonary laceration
c. Haemothorax
d. Tracheo-bronchial injuries
e. Pulmonary contusion
A
- e. Pulmonary contusion
Pulmonary contusion is the commonest manifestation of blunt trauma and indicates
trauma to alveoli with alveolar haemorrhage without significant alveolar disruption. Whilst plain film changes may not be apparent for up to six hours, CT will demonstrate changes
almost immediately post-trauma and signs of resolution can be seen as early as 48 hours.
If unresolved, it may progress to ARDS.
14
Q
- A 26 year old undergoes a routine chest radiograph as part of the Australian residency
application. The left upper lobe is hyperlucent and hyperexpanded and a lobular mass
is demonstrated adjacent to the left hilum. CT reveals the presence of a dilated
bronchus containing a plug of soft tissue. The surrounding lung is emphysematous.
The most likely diagnosis is:
a. Central carcinoid tumour
b. Bronchogenic cyst
c. Bronchial atresia
d. Cystic adenomatoid malformation
e. Congenital lobar emphysema
A
- c. Bronchial atresia
The case describes bronchial atresia with mucoid impaction. Bronchial atresia is a congenital
abnormality that is usually discovered incidentally. It results in local obliteration of the
proximal lumen of a segmental bronchus. The apicoposterior segment of the left upper lobe
is most commonly affected. Airways distal to the atretic segment continue to produce
mucous which can lead to mucoid impaction/mucocoele. The airways distal to the atretic
segment also develop normally and are ventilated by collateral air shift. This results in the
affected lobe appearing hyperexpanded, oligaemic and hyperlucent.
Congenital lobar emphysema can look similar, however there is usually no mucous plug
and patients tend to present early.
15
Q
- A 58 year old man with pancreatic cancer presents with recurrent pulmonary emboli
despite adequate anticoagulation. He is shown on this admission to also have a right
femoral DVT. He subsequently undergoes an IVC filter placement. Following a flush injection in the IVC, injecting contrast at which of the following site is essential prior
to stent placement?
a. Right hepatic vein
b. Left renal vein
c. Right common iliac vein
d. Right renal vein
e. Left common iliac vein
A
- e. Left common iliac vein
The presence of the renal veins will be demonstrated on the flush IVC injection, and
selective injection into the renal veins is not usually necessary. However, it is mandatory
to exclude a double IVC. A second IVC originates from the left iliac vein and can be a cause
for failure of the filter despite good positioning.
16
Q
- A 40 year old man presents with worsening breathlessness, fever and chills following a
visit to an aviary earlier in the day. HRCT is most likely to demonstrate:
a. Mid-zone interstitial lines
b. Areas of air-space shadowing
c. Pleural effusions
d. Lymphadenopathy
e. Crazy paving
A
- b. Areas of air-space shadowing
Acute extrinsic allergic alveolitis is predominantly a type III hypersensitivity reaction. There
is poor correlation between the clinical presentation and the radiological changes. Lymphadenopathy
is unusual in the acute phase, but is seen more commonly in recurrent disease.
The early changes are mainly in the mid zones, but the fibrosis that develops in chronic
extrinsic allergic alveolitis is mainly in the upper zones. In the acute phase, diffuse air-space
shadowing or multiple opacities are seen.
17
Q
- The staging chest CT of a 40 year old man with a known primary malignancy demonstrates
cavitating pulmonary metastases. The least likely type of primary lesion would be:
a. Squamous cell carcinoma
b. Malignant melanoma
c. Renal cell cancer
d. Sarcomas
e. Colonic carcinoma
A
- c. Renal cell cancer
18
Q
- A 25 year old woman with a longstanding history of non-erosive arthritis of the hands
and a malar rash presents with progressive breathlessness and respiratory dysfunction.
Blood serology demonstrates anti-DNA antibodies. Which of the following is the most
common feature on the chest radiograph?
a. Pleural effusion
b. Consolidation
c. Cavitating nodules
d. Pulmonary oedema
e. Pulmonary fibrosis
A
- a. Pleural effusion
Whilst all the above are seen in SLE, pleural effusions are the commonest radiographic
abnormality.
19
Q
- A 40 year old man with a known malignancy presents with pericardial metastases and
pericardial effusion. The metastatic deposits are high signal on T1-weighted imaging.
Which is the likely primary diagnosis?
a. Lymphoma
b. Lung cancer
c. Melanoma
d. Fibrosarcoma
e. Colorectal cancer
A
- c. Melanoma
Whilst most metastases are low on T1-weighted and high on T2-weighted imaging,
metastases from melanoma have a high signal on T1-weighted imaging due to the paramagnetic
effects of melanin.
20
Q
- The diagnostic role of CT in patients with pulmonary emboli is well established, but a
prognostic role is being proposed as well. Which of the following has the most widely
accepted prognostic value?
a. PA clot burden score
b. Leftward bowing of the intraventricular septum
c. Reflux of contrast into the IVC
d. RV/LV diameter ratio
e. PA diameter measurement
A
- d. RV/LV diameter ratio
(Ref: Ghaye B et al. Can CT pulmonary angiography allow assessment of severity and
prognosis in patients presenting with pulmonary embolism? What the radiologist needs to
know.
21
Q
- A 55 year old man has a repeat chest radiograph which demonstrates a persistent patch
of consolidation four months after a previous radiograph. Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma
(BAC) is suspected. Which of the following makes the diagnosis less likely?
a. Low attenuation consolidation
b. Negative PET-CT
c. Central location
d. Long history of smoking
e. Associated cavitation
A
- c. Central location
BAC can present in a local form as a mass, usually peripheral, subpleural in location or as
diffuse persistent/progressive consolidation in patients with a history of smoking. The area
of consolidation is often of low attenuation on CT due to copious mucin production. It is
the second most common type of malignancy associated with cavitation.
22
Q
- A 62 year old man presents with right shoulder pain which radiates down his arm.A plain
radiograph confirms the presence of a right apical mass with destruction of the surrounding
ribs. CT-guided biopsy is performed and is likely to reveal:
a. Large cell lung cancer
b. Squamous cell cancer
c. Small cell lung cancer
d. Adenocarcinoma
e. Carcinoid
A
- b. Squamous cell cancer
The case describes a Pancoast tumour for which squamous is the most common cell type
23
Q
- A 25 year old man has a routine chest radiograph prior to a work permit application.
It demonstrates a well-defined, rounded mediastinal mass. Which of the following
features on CT would make a diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst less likely?
a. Soft-tissue density
b. Thick wall
c. Precarinal location
d. Communication with tracheal lumen
e. Unilocularity
A
- b. Thick wall
Bronchogenic cyst is the most common intrathoracic foregut duplication cyst. It could
have all the above features, but in a mediastinal location, the cyst walls are usually thin.
Thick-walled cysts are more likely to be oesophageal.
24
Q
- A 45 year old man presents with a history of cough and occasional haemoptysis. Plain
chest radiograph demonstrates a right paracardiac shadow with loss of the right heart
border. Bronchoscopy demonstrates an endoluminal obstructive mass. The most likely
site of the lesion would be:
a. Right upper lobe anterior segmental bronchus
b. Right lower lobe lateral basal segmental bronchus
c. Bronchus intermedius
d. Right upper lobe posterior segmental bronchus
e. Right middle lobe bronchus
A
- e. Right middle lobe bronchus
The features described are of an endoluminal lesion causing right middle lobe collapse.
A lesion in the bronchus intermedius is likely to cause both middle and lower lobe collapse.