Imaging Flashcards
List the common reasons for requesting a plain abdominal radiograph
Acute abdominal pain
Small/large bowel obstruction
Acute exacerbation of IBD
Renal colic
Describe the imagining investigations available to investigate the GI tract and abdominal viscera
Plain X-ray:
AXR - bowel gas patterns, soft tissue structures, bones
Erect CXR - perforation, air under diaphragm
Contrast X-ray - barium swallow, barium enema, barium meal, follow through, used to define hollow viscera
Abdominal ultrasound - use of sound waves to generate image, cheap, portable, no radiation
Abdominal CT - high dose radiation, use of IV/oral/rectal contrast
Abdominal MRI - no radiation, good spatial and contrast resolution
GI angiography
Explain the role of the erect CXR in assessment of the patient with acute abdominal pain
Perforation due to ulcer, tumour, obstruction, trauma etc –> air under diaphragm
Recognise the use of Magnetic Resonance Cholangio-Pancreatogram (MRCP)
Visualisation of biliary tree
Compare and contrast the appearance of small and large bowel on an abdominal radiograph and describe the classical images of bowel obstruction
Small bowel - central position, valvulae conniventes
Large bowel - peripheral position, haustra, faeces
Abnormal gas pattern:
Small bowel obstruction >3cm
Large bowelobstruction >6cm
Caucum (ileocaecal valve) >9cm
Abnormalities - stones, masses, calcification, artefact, foreign body