Radiology Flashcards
What is the average width of small bowel?
<3cm
What is the average width of large bowel?
<6cm
What might thumb printing indicate on an abdo x-ray?
Inflammation Crohn disease ulcerative colitis pseudomembranous colitis ischaemic colitis
In which condition may you see a lead pipe colon?
UC
What is a complication of UC which is very obvious on an abdo x-ray?
Toxic megacolon
Which 3 places do kidney stones normally get stuck?
Pelvic ureteric junction, pelvic brim at iliac vessel crossing and vesico ureteric junction
What might an apple core stricture indicate on xray?
Obstruction, cancer, diverticular disease and IBD
What do you see on a lumbar spine xray of a patient with ank spond?
Syndesmophyes- bony growth originating inside a ligament.
If you seen air fluid levels in bowel on an abdo xray, what is it?
SBO
Causes of SBO?
Indirect inguinal hernias (most common type of hernia), adhesions (most common cause). Gall stone ileus, chrons causing strictures, intussception from a meckels/ileus.
Analgesia in SBO?
Opioids- morphine
What is cushings sign?
Bradycardia + HTN + reducing GCS
What to do if you spot cushings sign?
Sit patient up, O2, IV dex and Mannitol.
What is a pathological fracture?
A stress fracture through an abnormal bone (usually the edges aren’t ragged like in a traumatic fracture.
Think about pathological fractures when an atypical fracture occurs in a bone.
What are the causes of pathological fractures?
Malignancy ( most common)
Metabolic bone disease/infection also cause but less commonly
What is the difference between stress fractures and pathological fractures?
Stress fractures occur in otherwise normal bone but are just due to a repeated force rather than a sudden one like in a traumatic fracture.
How might you recognise a stress fracture?
These occur in gymnasts over time, and there will be chronic periosteal reaction (new bone growth/it looks like white and fluffy) around where the fracture is.
Example
A transverse fracture of the distal tibia with lateral periosteal reaction.
What is the classification used for knee OA?
Ahlbock classification system
Grades according to degree of joint space narrowing and bone attrition (the process of reducing something’s strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure)
How is the loss of joint space usually in OA?
It is usually uneven due to the nature of destruction. So mention where you see increased narrowing when describing a radiograph.
Where does the auto-inflammation primarily target in seropositive arthritis (aka rheumatoid)?
The synovium
Where does the auto-inflammation primarily target in seronegative arthritis?
The enthesis- where the capsule, ligaments & tendon attach to the bone.
What can you see on plain film in inflammatory arthritis?
Soft tissue swelling due to synovial hyperplasia.
Also bone erosion + osteopenic change adjacent to the eroded joint (increase in osteoclast activity).
If RA continues to progress, subluxation of the joint may occur.
Hallmarks of inflammatory arthritis?
Joint swelling, bone erosions, periarticular osteoporosis & subluxations.
