Lecture 1- Intro to Radiology Imaging Flashcards
Terminology
CXR
chest xray = chest radiograph = chest plain film
Terminology
image
any singular image (doesn’t matter type)
Terminology
study/examination
collection of images
Terminology
wet reading
archaic term for immediate or “stat” intercreptation
Terminology
PACS
Picture Archiving, Communications, and Storage System (the system that archives and stores images for later retrieval)
Terminology
Films vs Computed Radiography
- films: printed
- computed: electronic (almost everything now)
Radiographs/CT
what are the 5 radiographic densities
- air (least dense, black)
- fat
- water
- bone
- metal (most dense, white)
Radiographs/CT
differentiate radiolucent and radiopaque
- radiolucent: least dense (air); black
- radiopaque: most dense (bone); white
Film Quality
3 factors that affect quality of CXR?
- penetration
- inspiration
- rotation
Film Quality
differentiate underpenetrated and overpenetrated
- underpenetrated: too white
- overpenetrated: too black
Film Quality
how to know if CXR is penetrated correctly?
you can see the thoracic spine faintly through the heart shadow
Film Quality
how to evaluate for rotation
- R & L clavicle heads are equally distant from the spinous process
why are 2 views often required for xrays
because they are 2D pictures of 3D objects
describe silhouette sign
when 2 structures of the same density are in anatomical contact, their margins cannot be seen on film
* ex: the heart rests on the diaphragm, so you cannot see where one starts and the other ends.
describe CTs
- digital image generated by multiple xrays which are generated into a slice of the body
- generated to be axial, coronal, sagittal, and 3D images