Thoracic imaging Flashcards
roles of a radiologist
vetting requests
provide written report
perform interventional procedures
present cases at MDT
consultant led services
imaging modalities
x rays
ct
mri
ultrasound
nuclear medicine
fluoroscopy
x ray
quick
cheap
portable
lots of people can interpret them
low dose of radiation
exclude some emergencies
chest CT
quick and cheap
patient comes to department
more radiation
may need contrast
see lots of anatomy and pathology
more complex to interpret
contrast CT and X ray
IV lights up on imaging in CT
can see vessels cancers and bleeds
generally safe but beware of patients with renal failures
ultrasound
probe and jelly
cheap and mobile
can’t see gas filled structures
chest MRI
rare and very specialist
PET scan
metabolic information which lights up glucose activity
good for cancer patients to see distant spread because cancers are very metabolic
very specialist
main imaging for chest
X ray then CT
patient presents with chest pain
x ray clear
CT shows pulmonary embolus
patient with haemoptysis and weight loss, are a smoker
lung cancer
patient in outpatient chest clinic who s short of breath
pulmonary fibrosis
what do you request for thoracic pathology
first line is chest x ray
ct then added if required
ABCDE with imaging
airway
breathing
cardiac
diaphragm
everything else
airway for imaging
pushed (effusion)
pulled (collapse)
what is in the image
pneumothorax
what is in the image
pneumonia
what is in the image
effusion
what is in the image
heart failure
what does the image show
alveolar oedema
what does the image show
Kerly B lines
signs of pulmonary oedema
what is in the image
cardiomegaly
heart greater than 50% of chest cavity
what does the image show
diversion of the vessels to the upper lungs
effusions
what does the image show
covid-19 pneumonia
what does the image show
pneumoperitoneum
free air in the abdominal cavity
