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Chest X-ray interpretation

AP or PA
Body position
Confirm name
Date
Exposure
Films for comparison
Analysis is ABCDEF:
Airways (hilar adenopathy or enlargement)
Breast shadows/ Bones (rib fractures, lytic bone lesions)
Cardiac silhoutte (cardiac enlargement)/ Costophrenic angles (pleural effusions)
Diaphragm (evidence of free air)/ Digestive tract
Edges (apices for fibrosis, pneumothorax, pleural thickening or plaques)/ Extrathoracic tissues
Fields (evidence of alveolar filling)/ Failure (alveolar air space disease with prominent vascularity with or without pleural effusions)

Mnemonic:
Preliminary is ABCDEF

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More mnemonics in this category

Anterior mediastinal masses

- 4 T's: Teratoma Thymoma Testicular-type T-cell / Hodgkin's lymphoma

Chest X-ray: cavitating lesions differential

Wegener's syndrome Embolic (pulmonary, septic) Infection (anaerobes, pneumocystis, TB) Rheumatoid (necrobiotic nodules) Developmental cysts (sequestration) Histiocytosis

Chest radiograph: checklist to examine

Patient details Film details Objects (e.g. lines, electrodes) Rotation Penetration Expansion

Dermatomyositis or polymyositis: risk of underlying malignancy

- Risk is 30% at age 30. Risk is 40% at age 40, and so on.

Elbow ossification centers, in sequence

Radial head Internal epicondyle Trochlea Olecranon External epicondyle

Esophageal cancer: risk factors

Achalasia Barret's esophagus Corrosive esophagitis Diverticuliis Esophageal web Familial

Head CT scan: evaluation checklist

B lood Cistern Brain Ventricles Bone

Lung cancer: main sites for distant metastases

Bone Liver Adrenals Brain BLAB:

Lung cancer: notorious consequences

Superior vena cava syndrome Paralysis of diaphragm (Phrenic nerve) Ectopic hormones Eaton-Lambert syndrome Clubbing Horner syndrome/ Hoarseness

Mole: signs of trouble

Asymmetry Border irregular Colour irregular Diameter usually > 0.5 cm Elevation irregular

Neck sagittal x-ray: examination checklist

Anterior: look for swelling Bones: examine each bone for fractures Cartilage: look for slipped discs Dark spots: ensure not abnormally big, or could mean excess blood ABCD

Osteoarthritis: x-ray signs

Loss of joint space Osteopyhtes Subcondral sclerosis Subchondral cysts LOSS

Pituitary endocrine functions often affected by pituitary-associated tumor

Tropic hormones affected by growth tumor are: GnRH LSH FSH ACTH Prolactin function

Prognotic factors for cancer: general

Presentation (time & course) Response to treatment Old (bad prog.) Good intervention (i.e. early) Non-compliance with treatment Order of differentiation (>1 cell type)

T2 vs. T1 MRI scan

Water is White in a T2 scan. Conversely, a T1 scan shows fat as being whiter. "WW 2" (World War II)