PCE chest and abdomen Flashcards
Identify the structures of the heart
Right atrium
Right ventricle
Left atrium
Left ventricle
Where should the left hilar sit in relation to the right one?
Left hilar should sit higher than the right hilar because it goes over the pulmonary artery
If it is lower this indicates heart failure or something else wrong
where is the carina?
The carina is where the trachea bifurcates it sits just below the aortic knuckle usually
How many lobes is there in the lungs?
3 for the right
2 for the left
Anatomy levels going down in left lung
Great vessels/ left paratracheal stripe
Arch of aorta
Main pulmonary artery
Auricle of left atrium
Left ventricle
Fat pad
Anatomy levels going down in right lung
Great vessels/ right paratracheal stripe
Superior vena cava
Arch of azygous vein
Superior vena cava
Right atrium
Inferior vena cava
How is the lung split up
Apex
Upper zone
Mid zone
Lower zone
Felson search pattern
ATMLL (Are There Many Lung Lesions)
Abdomen
Thoracic Cage
Mediastinum
Lung (unilateral)
Lung (bilateral)
Types of opacity
Consolidation- air spaced opacity, patching shadowing, can be quite dense
Interstitial- smaller fine lines, crossing over lines (can also reduce lung volume)
Nodule- small node usually a simple circle
Mass- large, may not be a simple circle
Atelectasis- lung collapse
Lymph nodes can get enlarged and can distort the hilum so infection is important to note
Lymph nodes can get enlarged and can distort the hilum so infection s important to note
What is a sail sign
lung collapse, dense line where the lung collapse
Slide 28, example of PCE for chest “Interstitial shadowing in the mid to lower zones
Slide 28, example of PCE for chest “Interstitial shadowing in the mid to lower zones
What causes lung collapse?
in older patients it can be due to malignancy
in younger patients in children and children it can be a result of mucus plugin if they’re asthmatic
Right middle lobe collapse appearance
Increased density and distortion of the hemidiaphragm (it should be a nice dome)
left upper lobe collapse appearance
Increased opacity of the left lung, called the veil sign as it looks like someone has draped something over the lung
The aortic may also be distorted because the left lower lobe has hyperinflated because the upper lobe collapse
pneumothorax how to describe
The lung doesn’t fill the chest,
Remember to say what side it is and whether there is a mediastinal shift
pleural effusion how to describe
say what side is affected or whether its unilateral
Loculated plural effusion is where it goes up the side of the lungs (periphery of the pleura, all the way up to the apex)
if horizonal fissure, is thickened with pleural effusion at the bottom, its also a pleural effusion
What is a empyema
basically a pleural effusion that is made form pus
it looks like a bulging opacity
Mesothelioma what does it look like
if you see an opacity that looks like a pleural effusion (empyema) but there is no blunting of the costophrenic angles its mesothelioma
How do you look for heart failure
Kerley lines (horizontal lines)
Increased heart size
Pleural fluid
Perihilar opacity
Upper lobe blood distribution
Using the silhouette sign
loss of the silhouette sign
Right paratracheal stripe: right upper lobe
Right heart border: right middle lobe or (medial right lower lobe - small percentage)
Right hemidiaphragm: right lower lobe
Aortic knuckle: left upper lobe
Left heart border: lingula segments of the left upper lobe
Left hemidiaphragm or descending aorta: left lower lobe
Mediastinal Masses
Anterior
Middle
Posterior
Anterior
The 5 T’s
middle
Lymphadenopathy
Central Lung Tumours
Oesophageal lesions
(Look for splaying of the carina)
Posterior
Spinal/Paraspinal Abscess
Neurogenic Tumours
(Look at the intervertebral discs and vertebral bodies carefully
Look for rib splaying)
Normal diameters of the bowel
Small bowel =
Large bowel =
Caecum =
Normal diameters of the bowel
Small bowel = 3 cms
Large bowel = 6 cm
Caecum = 9 cm
appearance of large bowel
Large bowel is peripheral and has haustral folds
appearance of small bowel
Small bowel is central and have valvulae conniventes
what are haustral folds
the normal folds of the large bowl, if they become smooth or have thumbprinting there is a pathology
what is Adynamic/Paralytic Ileus
symptoms
Radiographic Features
Paralysis of motility
Not due to mechanical obstruction
(usually link to post surgery)
Can be asymptomatic
Distended and tympanic abdomen
Tachypnea and tachycardia
No flatus
Hiccups
Generalised and uniform distension of small and large bowel
Can be sentinel loop if localised
What anatomy can be seen on a abdomen x-ray
liver
spleen
stomach
right kidney
left kidney
psoas muscle
ascending colon
transverse colon
descending colon
small intestines
rectum
bladder
(if there is issues with the gallbladder or the pancreas sometimes these can be visualize)
What can be assessed on abdomen?
Bowel gas pattern
Bowel wall
Abnormal gases
Masses
Calcifications
Foreign bodies
Bones
what are valvulae conniventes
the lines on the small bowl which go through the bowel whereas haustra is like a bumpy line
What causes bowel distention or enlarging?
Adynamic Ileus
Mechanical Obstruction
LBO
SBO
Volvulus
Small bowel obstruction
radiographic appearance and causes?
Small bowel distension (greater than 3cms)
Ladder-like or stacked coin appearance
Little to no air in the large bowel
Fluid-filled obstructions can be occult on plain film
Causes
Adhesions
Hernia
Gallstone Ileus
Intussusception
What is gallstone ileus
appearance?
Gallstone which has migrated from the gallstone through the bile duct and cause a perforation through that, so you can see that communication.
So what happens is you get gas in the billery tree that you wouldn’t expect to see.
So if you see gas in a billery tray, sat of that right of the quadrant.
And appearances of a small bowel obstruction, it’s probably due to a gallstone ileus, even if you cant see the gallstone
Large bowel obstruction appearance
causes
Dilated large bowel to the point of obstruction (transition)
Little or no air in the sigmoid/rectum
Little or no gas in the small bowel if the ileocaecal valve remains competent
Causes
Tumour
Volvulus (Sigmoid or Caecal)
Hernia (Rare)
Diverticulitis
Intussusception (Rare in adults)
Faecal impaction
Sigmoid Volvulus appearance
Arises in pelvis/LLQ
Extends towards RUQ
Ahaustral
‘Coffee-bean’ appearance
Dilated large bowel
Caecal Volvulus appearance
Arises in RLQ
Extends towards epigastric region/LUQ
Hausta maintained
Small bowel dilated
May have air fluid level
What is volvulus
Volvulus occurs when a loop of intestine twists around itself and the mesentery that supplies it, causing a bowel obstruction.
What is Pneumoperitoneum?
gas outside the bowel, sometimes under the diaphragm. Needs to be reported back to the ward
Perforation of the bowel
Iatrogenic
Rigler’s sign (air sign)
Visualisation of the Falciform ligament
What is intramural gas?
gas within the bowel wall, bacteria in the wall causing it.
Gas within solid organs
describe what you see,
could be in the kidney, bladder, liver, spleen etc