Introduction To Neuroradiology Flashcards
What are the advantages of CT scans?
Relatively cheap
Fast
Repeatable
What clinical problems would you use CT scans for?
Trauma/emergencies Extracerebral bleeds/clots Calcified tumours Basic ventricular imaging (position, blood, enlargement) Cerebral arterial + venous system
What are the advantages of MRI scan?
Enhanced resolution
What clinical problems are MRI scans used for?
Acute stroke (can identify oedema/change in water content) Degeneration Neuroinfection Demmyelination Tumours Hydrocephalus Spinal cord
What are the disadvantages of MRI scan?
Expensive
Slower
Noisy
Claustrophobic
How are coronal sections viewed?
Looking at patient face on
How are axial sections viewed?
Looking at patient through binoculars from their feet
What are the different MRI resolutions?
1.5T: lowest resolution (not used anymore really)
3T: medium resolution (most common in hospitals)
7T: highest resolution (used for research)
What are the layers of the head (from outwards to inwards)?
Skin of scalp Periosteum Bone of skull Dura mater (periosteal + meningeal layer) Subdural space Arachnoid Subarachnoid space Pia mater Grey matter (cerebral cortex)
What is the falx cerebri?
Double layered vertical fold of dura mater which is a useful midline marker meaning you can look for deviation
Superior + inferior sagittal dural venous sinuses sit at top and bottom
What is the tentorium cerebelli?
Double layered horizontal fold of dura mater separating the cerebral hemispheres from the cerebellum
Transverse dural venous sinus sits at attachment to cranium
When will you see the dura mater folds on a image?
If you are posterior of the cranium
What would it suggest if the falx cerebri had deviated from the midline?
Pathology occupying space in the cranium pushing it over to one side e.g. tumour or increased ICP
What are ventricles?
Hollow regions within the brain and brainstem within which CSF is produced
C-shaped paired lateral ventricle drains into unpaired 3rd ventricle then 4th ventricle
What colour would the ventricles appear on scans?
MRI: white
CT: dark
Where are the brain ventricles?
Lateral: central parts sit under corpus callosum + by caudate nucleus whereas temporal horns sit low down in temporal lobes having close relation to the hippocampus
3rd ventricle: sit in midline with thalamus lateral
4th ventricle: between cerebellum + brainstem
What structures does the venous drainage of the brain pass through?
Dural venous sinuses
Name the dural venous sinuses.
Superior sagittal Inferior sagittal Straight Transverse Sigmoid Right cavernous
What major vein of the neck do most dural venous sinuses drain into?
Internal jugular vein
What type of imaging can aid you in looking for dural venous sinus blockage?
Magnetic resonance venogram
How is the brain interconnected?
Cerebral hemispheres interconnect via corpus callosum and connects to brainstem
When can images be off-axis?
If the patients head isn’t perfectly aligned in the CT/MRI
What hole does the brainstem drop through?
Foramen magnum
What colour would bone appear on scans?
MRI: black
CT: white