Imaging of the CVS Flashcards
Signs of cardiac failure (7)
Tachycardia
Pitting edema
JVD
SOB
Fatigue and weakness
Wheezing
Ascites
and more
Causes of pericardial calcification
Inflammation / infection
Differentiate Stanford A and Stanford B aortic dissection
A = ascending aorta (+ great vessels) = medical emergency requiring immediate surgical intervention
B = descending aorta (after origin of great vessels) = monitor and may be managed medically depending on severity
What is cardiac MRI really good for?
Congenital heart disease - e.g. transposition of great vessels
(good for MI)
What does a flask like heart (CXR) - globular cardiomegaly - indicate?
Pericardial effusion
What structure do AAAs typically begin below?
Renal arteries
List the different modalities of CVS imaging? (5)
1 CXR
2 Echocardiogram (transthoracic echocardiogram)
3 CT/CT coronary angiogram
4 MRI/Cine MRI
5 Nuclear medicine - PET/SPECT
Valve calcification - usual site
mitral valve
What is fibromuscular dysplasia? What does it look like on imaging?
Inflammatory condition of the vessel wall
Causes a ‘string of beads’ like appearance
What is the calcium sign of aortic dissection?
Calcium deposition in the aorta moves in - soft tissue beyond = dissection
What 3 arteries have low pressure?
Pulmonary arteries
Internal carotid artery
Umbilical arteries
What diameter is typically classified as an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)? How large of an AAA can a person manage, generally speaking?
> 3cm
Up to 4.5cm
What is a sign of renal artery stenosis?
Hypertension - RAAS activation
What is the mainstay of cardiac imaging?
PET scan
Cardiac failure on CXR - ABCDE mnemonic
Alveolar edema
kerley B lines
Cardiomegaly
Dilated prominent upper lobe vessels
pleural Effusion
= bat wing appearance!
