complex imaging of the chest Flashcards
1
Q
what modalities are used to image the chest
A
2
Q
what are the most common reasons to image the respiratory system?
A
3
Q
common clinical indications for the imaging the chest
A
- SOB
- Cough
- Haemoptysis (coughing up blood)
- PUO (pyrexia of unknown origin) - increased fever
- pain
- trauma
- hypertension
- heavy smoker
4
Q
chest x-ray- what can we see
A
- Evaluate the heart, size, location and morphology (structure)
- Infection
- Highlight other potential pathologies/incidental findings
- Tumours/metastases
- FBs
- Pleural Effusions (if more than 500 MLS)
5
Q
benefits of conventional x-ray
A
- cheap
- quick
- low radiation
- easy accessible
6
Q
MRI chest
A
- highly specific - e.g. chest wall tumours, MRI shows fat plans and muscle involvement better than CT
- no radiation, but other safety concerns
- MRI scans are longer and have a lower availability than CT
- expensive
7
Q
Arterial phase imaging
A
- high-pressure injection, 100mls contrast at 4/5 mls/sec
- inject and scan at 25-35 seconds or use bolus tracking ROI
8
Q
Aortic Aneurysm
A
- scanning to check any enlargements within the diameter of the Aorta
- normal range 2.5-3.5cm
- anything greater than 6cm has a very high risk of rupture
9
Q
Aortic Dissection
A
- this is when the inner layer of the aorta tears and blood pushes through the tear, causing the inner and middle layers of the aorta to separate
10
Q
types of Aorta dissection
A
type A - dissection involves the ascending aorta
type B dissection involves the descending aorta
- resembles a tennis ball
11
Q
pulmonary embolism
A
- a blood clot that occurs in the lungs
- which can lead to restricted blood flow and decreased oxygen levels
- appears as a filling defect
12
Q
what is imaged in infection imaging
A
lungs
13
Q
common pathologies in infection imaging
A
- pneumonia
- covid
- TB
14
Q
how much contrast is used to image infection
A
- 100 mls of contrast at 3mls/sec, with 50-second delay
- looking for consolidation
15
Q
appearance of covid on CT
A
