Principles of Interpretation

Question 1

What are 3 things imaging is designed to reduce or eliminate uncertainty about?

Answer 1

• A diagnosis
• Extent of disease
• Performing a treatment

Question 2

What are 2 things affecting accuracy?

Answer 2

• Search pattern

- Separating fact from fake-outs

Question 3

What are 4 things to consider when looking at a radiograph?

Answer 3

• Quiet dim environment
• Not in a hurry
• Be familiar with patient
• Know the question that is being asked

Question 4

How should radiographs be looked at?

Answer 4

Have an organized scan route.

Question 5

Where are the most over-looked lesions in the thoracic often located?

Answer 5

Bones/ribs

Question 6

What are 7 things to check in the thorax?

Answer 6

• Heart
• Pulmonary vessels
• Lung
• Pleura
• Mediastinum
• Trachea
• Bones

Question 7

What are 10 things to check in the thorax?

Answer 7

• Stomach
• Small Intestine
• Colon
• Liver
• Spleen
• Kidneys
• Bladder
• Peritoneum
• Retroperitoneum
• Bones

Question 8

When examining a limb, what is it helpful to do?

Answer 8

Radiograph the opposite limb.

Question 9

What are the 5 opacities in order from least to most opaque?

Answer 9

• Air
• Fat
• Water
• Bone
• Metal

Question 10

Does radiographic density correlate to radiopacity or radiolucency?

Answer 10

Radiopacity

Question 11

Does optical density correlate with radiopacity or radiolucency?

Answer 11

Radiolucency

Question 12

As atomic number increases, does opacity increase or decrease?

Answer 12

Increase

Question 13

Why are opacities important?

Answer 13

They allow different structures to be differentiated and identified.

Question 14

Are radiographs 2D or 3D?

Answer 14

2D

Question 15

What are 3 examples of dimensional limitations of radiographs?

Answer 15

• Magnification/distortion
• Loss of depth perception
• Superimposition & summation shadows

Question 16

Magnification will cause an image to be what?

Answer 16

Larger and sharper

Question 17

What is distortion?

Answer 17

Special case of unequal magnification.

Question 18

Distortion can make a bone look what?

Answer 18

Shorter

Question 19

When a structure appears in an unexpected location and is misinterpreted as a lesion it is known as what?

Answer 19

Superimposition

Question 20

What shape are most metastatic lung lesions?

Answer 20

Round

Question 21

A special case of superimposition where overlapping structures create a summation opacity that is not really present in the patient is known as what?

Answer 21

Summation Sign

Question 22

The effacement (loss of visualization) of the border of 2 structures of the same radiographic opacity that are in contact is known as what?

Answer 22

Silhouette Sign

Question 23

With pleural effusion, can the heart be seen better in a DV or VD view?

Answer 23

VD

Question 24

How do you name radiographs?

Answer 24

• Point of entrance to point of exit

- Use correct anatomic terminology

Question 25

How is the cranial/proximal portion of the patient always oriented in a radiograph?

Answer 25

To the top.

Question 26

How is the head/trunk of the patient always oriented in a radiograph?

Answer 26

Patient left on viewer right.

Question 27

T/F: There is no convention regarding medial vs lateral on view in regards to extremities.

Answer 27

True

Question 28

A left-right lateral view means the patient is in what type of recumbency?

Answer 28

Right lateral recumbency

Question 29

A right-left lateral view means the patient is in what type of recumbency?

Answer 29

Left lateral recumbency

Question 30

What are 4 things to consider when interpreting a radiograph?

Answer 30

• Signalment & history
• Physical examination
• Is the radiograph normal
• Describing any abnormalities

Question 31

What are the 6 Roentgen signs?

Answer 31

• Size
• Shape
• Number
• Location
• Margination
• Opacity

Question 32

What are Roentgen signs?

Answer 32

Terms used to describe lesions in radiographs.