Radiology Flashcards
What type of imaging is CBCT and what is it suitable to assess?
A form of cross-sectional imaging suitable for assessing radio-dense structures
What are the benefits of CBCT over plain radiography?
- No superimposition
- Ability to view subject from any angle
- No magnification/distortion
- Allows for volumetric (3D) reconstruction
What are the downsides of CBCT over plain radiography?
- Increased radiation dose to patient
- Lower spatial resolution
- Susceptible to artefacts
- Equipment more expensive
- Images more complicated to manipulate and interpret
- Requires additional training
What are the benefits of CBCT in comparison to conventional CT?
- Lower radiation dose
- Potential for higher resolution
- Cheaper
- Smaller footprint
What are the benefits of conventional CT over CBCT?
- Able to differentiate soft tissues better
- “Cleaner” (better signal to noise ratio)
- Larger field of view possible
What are the common uses of CBCT in dentistry?
- Clarifying relationship between impacted 3rd molar and the IAN canal prior to intervention
- Measuring alveolar bone dimensions
- Visualising complex root canal morphology to aid endo treatment
- Investigating external root resorption next to impacted teeth
- Assessing large cystic jaw lesions
What are the three common orthogonal planes used for visualising CBCT?
- Axial view
- Sagittal view
- Coronal view
What is the “field of view” (FOV)?
The size of the captured volume of data
Why do you ideally want to have a small FOV?
Because a small field of view will mean less radiation given to patient (as there will be less tissues irradiated and less scatter)
What is a voxel, and what does it decipher?
A voxel is a 3D pixel and it deciphers the resolution of an image.
Why does FOV need to be as small as possible on a CBCT if investigating endodontic cases?
So that you can visualise finer details of root canals
What is a rough estimate of how much larger the radiation dose of CBCT is compared to DPT?
CBCT is roughly 2-3 x the dose of DPT
What are the two main types of artefacts that you can get on CBCT imaging?
- Movement artefacts
- Streak artefacts
What causes streak artefacts?
High-attenuation objects (e.g. amalgam metal filling)
What are the two main issues of streak artefacts?
- Can prevent caries assessment
- Can prevent assessment of perforations/missed canals in root canal treated teeth
What are the contraindications for CBCT?
- If plain radiograph is sufficient
- If soft tissue visualisation is required for pathology (malignant gland or infection spread)
- If high risk of debilitating artefacts
- Pt unable to stay still or fit in machine