Radiology Flashcards
In a CXR what colour are the following materials?
- air
- fat
- soft tissue/ muscle
- bone
- metal
- air is black
- fat is grey
- soft tissue/muscle is grey/white
- bone is white
- metal is bright white
Describe how a PA CXR is taken
- maximum inspiration
- the patient should brace their shoulders forward to move the scapulae
How is an AP view taken? and what is the main problem with this type of image?
the patient must be supine and the problem is that there is an enlarged view of the heart and the scapulae overlie the lungs
What is the minimum number of ribs that needs to be seen on a good CXR film?
at least 6 ribs must be seen
How does CT differentiate between different organs and tissues?
it uses the varying densities
On an US, what colour are these features? - fluid - soft tissue - air and bone
- fluid is black
- soft tissue is bright
- air and bone is seen as a shadow
What is an auricle of the heart?
an auricle (aka an atrial appendage) is a flap of heart wall on the anterior surface of the atria
How do you decide if you should image for pulmonary thromboembolism?
- check for another likely diagnosis
- a major risk factor
- raised D-dimer
- more than two points means do the imaging
What are the steps for pulmonary thromboembolism imaging?
- updated CXR
- perfusion scan to check for even perfusion
- CTPA to look for PE, the right ventricle will be dilated due to right heart strain
- US for DVT
Where are peripheral tumours?
beyond the hilum
Where are central tumours?
at or close to the hilum
What are the cardinal signs of a central tumour?
hilar enlargement, distal collapse or consolidation
What is a good scan for nodal and distal metastases?
PET
What is PET not good for?
brain metastases
What is seen on a CXR for PF?
honeycombing and basal distrubution
