SA Medical - General Medicine And Imaging of Disease

Cystic duct sign • Morphine is often given before 4 hours to make the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. Dose is 0.04 mg/kg given slowly. Causes spasm of sphincter of Oddi Can convert true-positive result in case of cystic duct sign to false-negative result DIFFUSE PERIOSTEAL UPTAKE (TRAMTRACK SIGN) Criteria: bilateral, diffuse periosteal uptake • Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (lower extremity > upper extremity) • Child abuse • Thyroid acropachy dilated cavity on initial but not delayed images Heart size and wall thickness • Subjective assessment • Transient cavitary dilatation (dilated cavity on initial but not delayed images) is a sign of LV dysfunction. Hot nose sign Imaging Findings • No flow Absent ICA Absent sinuses • Absent cerebral uptake of HMPAO • Slight perfusion of scalp veins may be present. • Hot nose sign: increased intracranial pressure ...

atherosCLerotiC disease Slim sign: collapse of ICA above stenosis atherosCLerotiC disease atherosCLerotiC disease Color Doppler flow imaging of carotid arteries • High-grade stenosis with minimal flow (string sign in angiography) is detected more reliably than with conventional Doppler US. CT • To determine complete occlusion versus a string sign (near but not complete occlusion), delayed images must be obtained immediately after the initial contrast images. Bifid post-CS sign (85%) Bifid post-CS sign (85%) cap sign • T2W: hyperintense. 20%-33% of ependymomas demonstrate the “cap sign,” a rim of extreme hypointensity (hemosiderin) seen at the poles of the tumor on T2W images. Most cases (60%) also show evidence of cord edema around the masses. Classification of Plain Radiographic Abnormalities of the Infant Skull Variations in skull density Decreased density: generalized or local...

achondroplasia Achondroplasia is an autosomal dominent anomaly that affects the cartilage growth and development. The individual is a short limbed dwarf with a relatively normal sized trunk, large head, frontal bossing, and a depressed nasal bridge. ULTRASOUND The diagnosis can be made by fetal ultrasound by progressive discordance between the femur length and biparietal diameter by age. The trident hand configuration can be seen if the fingers are fully extended. A skeletal survey is useful to confirm the diagnosis of achondroplasia. SKULL The skull is large, with a small narrow foramen magnum, and relatively small skull base. LIMBS Short wide tubular bones with metaphyseal cupping and flaring and irregular growth plates. Fibular overgrowth is present. The hand is broad with short metacarpals and phalanges, and a trident configuration. ‘Trident hand’: the fingers are all the same length and diverge into 2 pa...

Blood–brain barrier damage A pathological increase of permeability of the blood–brain barrier occurs in several conditions, e.g. many cerebral and meningeal tumours, cerebral infarcts and in some infections. This is the basis of the very useful diagnostic sign of tumour staining, which is particularly well seen on CT, even after IV injection of contrast medium.

multiplicity is not a sign of a benign condition US guidelines for thyroid nodules: • 80% of nodular disease is due to hyperplasia (pathologically they are referred to as hyperplastic, adenomatous, or colloid nodules). • Malignant and benign nodules present simultaneously in 10%-20% of cases; thus multiplicity is not a sign of a benign condition. • Nodules with large cystic components are usually benign; however, 20% of papillary cancers are cystic. • Comet-tail artifacts are seen in colloid cysts.

Beak sign on IVP • “Beak sign” can be seen with large cysts seen on IVP Bergman's coiled catheter sign Bergman's coiled catheter sign: on retrograde pyelogram the catheter is typically coiled in dilated portion of ureter just distal to the lesion. Doughnut sign on IVP or angiography Lobar dysmorphism: doughnut sign on IVP or angiography Goblet sign Goblet sign: retrograde pyelogram demonstrates dilated ureteral segment distal to obstruction with filling defect and meniscus Ureteral tumors Pseudokidney sign (US) Elliptical structure in pelvis or abdomen with an echogenic center (blood, prominent mucosa, infiltrated bowel wall) resembling the US appearance of a kidney. • Inflammatory bowel disease Crohn disease Infectious colitis • Tumor • Intussusception • Always exclude pelvic kidney Ring sign Sequestered, sloughed papillae cause filling d...

Accordion sign • Contrast between thickened folds (accordion sign) Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) Bull's eye pattern (hypoechoic halo around lesion) LIVER US FOR METASTASIS Echogenic metastases • GI malignancy • HCC • Vascular metastases Hypoechoic metastases • Most metastases are hypovascular. • Lymphoma • Bull's eye pattern (hypoechoic halo around lesion) Nonspecific sign but frequently seen in bronchogenic carcinoma Hypoechoic rim represents compressed liver tissue and tumor fibrosis. Calcified metastases: hyperechoic with distal shadowing • All mucinous metastases: colon > thyroid, ovary, kidney, stomach Cystic metastases: necrotic leiomyosarcoma; mucinous metastases Carman's (meniscus) sign* *Results from the fluoroscopically induced apposition of rolled halves of the tumor margin forming the periphery of the ulcerated carcinoma; meniscus refers to menisco...