Nervous System Flashcards
Aherothrombotic Brain Infarction (ABI)
•An infarct caused by thrombosis of a cerebral artery.
•Stroke that occurs when a blood clot forms on plaque in a brain blood vessel
Cerebral cranial fracture
•Fractures in the calvaria of the skull
•Vascular markings in the skull, either venous or arterial, are routinely demonstrated as linear translucencies and may occasionally be mistaken for cerebral cranial fractures
Coma
A prolonged loss of consciousness for more than 24 hours
Concussion
Brief loss of consciousness as a result of a blow to the head
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
•A loss of blood supply to the brain from a cerebral bleed, thrombus, or embolus
•A stroke, sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen caused by blockage of blood flow (ischemic) or rupture of an artery to the brain (hemorrhagic)
Meningitis
Inflammation of the meninges caused by a bacterial(most common) or viral agent
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
used to evaluate the vascular anatomy of the head and neck
Magnetic resonance venography (MRV)
Demonstrates the major veins and dural sinuses within the brain and plays a large role in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral venous thrombosis
Radiculopathy
•Pinching of the nerves at the root or a tumor
•Symptoms may include a sudden and severe onset of sensory or motor dysfunction (radiculopathy) in the distribution of the compressed nerve root in combination with weakened muscles
Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
A temporary episode of neurologic dysfunction that can precede a cerebrovascular accident
Brain anatomy labeled
Meninges and Meningeal spaces labeled
Where is CSF secreted from? Where does it flow/reside?
•Choroid Plexus
•CSF flows from the lateral ventricles into the third ventricle via the interventricular foramina (of Monro)
Ventricles of the brain labeled
Vertebral column labeling
Which fluoroscopic procedure is closely associated with diagnosing conditions of the spinal cord?
Myelography
Identify the modality of choice for imaging/ evaluating conditions of the nervous system and list some of the rationale to support your answer
•MRI
•Its sensitivity is excellent for the evaluation of all types of spinal diseases, including tumors, abscesses, and disk disease. Because MRI does not image the dense petrous bone, it is excellent for evaluating the brainstem and anomalies of the posterior fossa.
List of congenital and hereditary conditions
•Spina Bifida
•Hydrocephalus
Meningomyelocele (Spina Bifida)
•What is it?
•Associated medical terms
•What is it? A condition in which the bony neural arch that encloses and protects the spinal cord is not completely closed. It most commonly occurs in the lumbar region, and the spinal cord and its meninges may or may not herniate through the resultant opening
•Associated medical terms: Meningocele: only the meninges protrude, Myelocele: a protrusion of the spinal cord minus its meningeal coverings, which may also be treatable surgically, Meningomyocele: the protrusion of both the meninges and the spinal cord through the vertebral defect with a visible lesion on the back
Hydrocephalus
•What is it?
Refers to an excessive accumulation of CSF within the ventricles and can be either congenital or acquired. Normally CSF flows around the spinal cord and over the convexity of the brain before reabsorption into the venous sinuses.
Inflammatory and Infectious diseases
•Meningitis
•Encephalitis
•Brain Abscess
Meningitis
•What is it?
An inflammation of the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord is termed meningitis. It may be caused by bacteria, viruses, or other organisms that reach the meninges from elsewhere in the body via blood or lymph, or it may occur as a result of trauma and penetrating wounds, or from adjacent structures (e.g., the mastoids) that become infected.
Encephalitis
•What is it?
An inflammation/infection of the brain tissue is termed encephalitis. In contrast to meningitis, which is most frequently due to a bacterial infection, encephalitis is usually viral in nature and may also occur subsequent to conditions such as chickenpox, smallpox, influenza, or measles, or transmitted by an arbovirus. The most common cause of viral encephalitis is herpes simplex 2.
Brain Abscess
•What is it?
•Associated medical terms
•What is it? an encapsulated accumulation of pus within the cranium resulting from a cranial infection, a penetrating head wound, or an infection spread through the bloodstream
•Associated medical terms: subdural empyema
List of Degenerative Diseases
•Degenerative disk disease
•Cervical Spondylosis
•Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
•Parkinson Disease (PD)
•Dementia
Degenerative disk disease
•What is it?
•Associated medical terms
•What is it? The progressive degeneration of the nucleus pulposus and the annulus fibrosus of the IVD lead to the development of degenerative disk disease (DDD). In this disease process there is a loss of the weight-bearing properties of the disk with accompanying inflammation, which leads to the loss of structure and integrity of the IVD, discogenic pain, and broad low-back pain
•Associated medical terms: herniated nucleus pulposus
Cervical Spondylosis
•What is it?
•What is it? Osteoarthritic changes in the neck leading to formation of osteophytes causing stenosis and compression of the nerves
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
•What is it?
a chronic, progressive, demyelinating disease of the nervous system, characterized by exacerbations and remissions. It most commonly affects individuals between the ages of 20 and 40 years. It affects females more often than males. The etiology of this disease is unknown, but research indicates that it may result from a latent herpesvirus or retrovirus infection
Parkinson Disease (PD)
•What is it?
A common neurodegenerative disease occurring in approximately 2 per 1000 adults over the age of 65 years. PD is a complex neurologic disease resulting from the degeneration of the basal ganglia and dopamine-secreting pathways affecting both motor and nonmotor neurologic functions. PD is a movement disorder and is characterized by asymmetrical resting tremors, bradykinesia, and postural instability with an unsteady gait.
Dementia
•What is it?
•Associated medical terms
•What is it? a group of conditions and diseases characterized by a decline in several higher cortical functions (memory, language, and reasoning skills) as a result of changes within the brain. It can be the result of a variety of pathologic processes including anatomic, metabolic, psychiatric, degenerative, vascular, inflammatory/infectious, or demyelinating diseases.
•Associated medical terms: Alzheimer’s
List of Vascular Diseases
*CVA
*Ischemic stroke
*Hemorrhagic stroke
Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) (Stroke)
•What is it?
•Associated medical terms
•What is it? Sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by the blockage of blood flow or rupture of an artery to the brain, may eventually result in a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), commonly referred to as a stroke
•Associated medical terms: Necrosis, Infarct
Ischemic stroke
•What is it?
A stroke in which a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain by blocking a blood vessel in the brain. An ischemic stroke may occur in two ways: (1) infarction caused by thrombosis of a cerebral artery or (2) embolism to the brain from a thrombus elsewhere in the body
Hemorrhagic stroke
•What is it?
Caused by a weakened vessel that ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain. Most occur due to long-standing hypertension that weakens the walls of small penetrating arteries deep in the brain. However some hemorrhagic strokes affect the cortical structures and are associated with vascular pathologies such as aneurysms and AVMs
List of Neoplastic diseases
*primary brain tumor
*secondary brain tumor
*glioma
*medulloblastoma
*meningioma
*Pituitary adenoma
*neurofibroma
*Brain metastasis
*Spinal tumors
Primary brain tumor
•What is it?
•Arise from cells originating in the nervous system
•Often difficult to classify as purely benign or malignant
•Have the highest incidence in persons 55 to 65 years of age, although primary brain tumors are the most common cancer occurring in people aged 0 to 19 years and are the second leading cause of cancer deaths in individuals under the age of 20 years
Secondary Brain Tumor
*What is it?
Secondary or metastatic tumors develop from neoplasms originating elsewhere in the body that spread to the brain
Glioma
•What is it?
•Associated medical terms
•What is it? A tumor composed of tissue that represents neuroglia, commonly occurring in the cerebral hemispheres of the posterior fossa
•Associated medical terms: Glial vs non-glial tumors. Glial tumors originate from the supporting tissues of the brain and spinal cord. Nonglial tumors grow through expansion and are more treatable surgically.
Medulloblastoma
•What is it?
soft, infiltrating tumors of neuroepithelial tissue. These rapidly growing tumors are highly malignant and most often occur in the cerebellum of children and young adults, and usually extend from the roof of the fourth ventricle
Meningioma
•What is it?
A slow-growing, generally benign tumor that originates in the arachnoid tissue. It is the most common nonglial tumor, accounting for about 15% of all intracranial tumors
Pituitary adenoma
•What is it?
A benign tumor of the pituitary gland, comprising of about 15% of all intracranial tumors. Anatomically, these tumors are classified according to size, based on radiologic findings, as either microadenomas (less than <10 mm) or macroadenomas (≥10 mm)
Neurofibroma
•What is it?
A tumor of peripheral nerves caused by abnormal proliferation of Schwann cells
Spinal tumors
•What is it?
•Associated medical terms
•What is it? Tumors of the spine, they are less common than brain tumors
•Associated medical terms: Extramedullary and Intramedullary
List of Traumatic Diseases
*Spondylolisthesis
*Spondylolysis
*Compression Fracture
*Whiplash
*Hangman’s fracture (traumatic spondylosis)
*Jefferson (burst) fracture
*Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
*Hematoma
*Contusion
*Coup vs contrecoup lesion
Spondylolisthesis
•What is it?
•Associated medical terms
•What is it? Forward displacement of one vertebra over another (commonly occurring at the L5–S1 junction), usually caused by a developmental defect in the pars interarticularis
•Associated medical terms: Anterospondylolisthesis and Retrospondylolisthesis
Spondylolysis
•What is it?
A condition marked by a cleft or breaking down of the body of a vertebra between the superior and inferior articular processes. Typically, this occurs in the arch of the fifth lumbar vertebra as a result of a developmental or congenital anomaly rather than acute trauma. It appears radiographically as a “collar” or “broken neck” on the “Scotty dog” and is demonstrated on an oblique projection of the lumbar spine
Compression Fracture
•What is it?
A fracture produced by compression. The most frequent type of injury involving a vertebral body. Usually, the damage is limited to the upper portion of the vertebral body, particularly to the anterior margin.
Whiplash
•What is it?
•The causes of vertebral column injuries include direct trauma and hyperextension–flexion injuries (whiplash injuries)
•Either a dull or sharp pain in the posterior neck is the primary manifestation
Hangman’s fracture (traumatic spondylosis)
•What is it?
a fracture of the arch of the second cervical vertebra and is usually accompanied by anterior subluxation of the second cervical vertebra of the third cervical vertebra
Jefferson (burst) fracture
•What is it?
“Burst fracture” of the first cervical vertebra (atlas). It generally occurs as a result of a severe axial force that causes compression, as in a diving accident. The vertebral arch literally bursts.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
•What is it?
Damage to the brain from an external mechanical force such as rapid acceleration or deceleration associated with neurologic deficits
Hematoma
•What is it?
•Associated medical terms
•What is it? A localized collection of blood in an organ, space, or tissue as a result of a break in the wall of a blood vessel
•Associated medical terms: Epidural, Subdural, Subarachnoid, Intracerebral
Contusion
•What is it?
An injury in which the tissue is bruised but not broken
Coup vs Contrecoup lesion
•What is it?
•Coup: A contusion formed on the side of the head on which trauma occur
•Contrecoup: A contusion formed on the opposite side of the skull in reference to a trauma site
What is the most common cause of chronic meningitis?
Fungal infections
Which imaging study is most often used to diagnosis a person with stroke-like symptoms prior to treatment with thrombolytic agents?
Non-contrast CT
Primary brain tumors can be classified by histologic composition as either:
glial and non-glial cells
