Sos: Planar Neuroimaging Flashcards
33-year-old construction worker presents to the ED with a one week history of “the worse headache I have ever had”
subarachnoid hemorrhage
best and quickest test to get in ED of the brain
CT
best imaging modalities to use for brian
CT and MRI
what cut
coronal
what cut
horizontal (axial)
what cut
sagittal
thousands of x-rays put together
CT (computerized tomography)
viewing from foot of bed; what is orientation
R to L
bone, calcifications and clotted blood appear what color on CT
white (hyperdense tissues)
air, fat, CS fluid, infarct appear what color on CT
black (hypodense tissues)
gray and white matter and flowing blood appear what color on CT
gray (isodense tissues)
contains myelin which has a high lipid content and appears slightly darker than gray matter
white matter
used with IV contrast and highlights vasculature; takes time
Contrast enhanced CT
to use or not to use contrast enhanced CT with intracranial hemorrhage (<1 week old and appears hyperdense)
no contrast
intracranial hemorrhage
skull fractures
mass effect
when to use CT
In the ED, fast, useful tool that can drive the clinical plan for the patient
CT
uses magnetic field and electromagnetic energy waves
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
what type of MRI
T1-weighted
gray matter is gray and white matter is white on this MRI
T1
gray and white matter color are switched on this type of MRI (useful for what disease)
T2-weighted (MS)
this type of MRI highlights blood vessels
contrast enhanced MRI
lights up bone
CT
bone is not lit up on this imaging
MRI
30-yr-old man attacked by his girlfriend’s husband at a bar
epidural hematoma
