Radiology Finals Pointers as noted by
Samira V.
NERVOUS SYSTEM
1. CT scan is the technique of choice for…
2. X-ray & UTZ  in neonates & infants, use
the open fontanels
3. Physiologic intracranial calcifications
4. Pineal gland calcification – almost always
present in the adult
5. Choroid plexus calcification – frequently
seen at the glomera (atria of L ventricles)
6. Dural calcification – plaque like
calcification; maybe part of the basal cell
nevus syndrome
7. Study the difference of Cytotoxic Edema &
Vasogenic Edema
8. Cytotoxic Edema – seen in strokes,
hypoxemic injury, cortical edema from
status epilepticus; seen in gray matter
9. Vasogenic edema – seen in metastatic or
primary neoplasm, infections; primarily a
white matter phenomenon
10. Neoplasm Incidence: gliomas – 43%;
meningiomas – 15%
11. Gliomas – Grade 4 are gliobastoma
multiforme (most malignant)
12. Glioblastoma multiforme – most common
supratentorial glioma
13. Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma – low grade
astrocytoma that occurs in children
14. Meningioma – extraaxial tumors that arise
from the arachnoid
15. Meningioma common sites: superior
sagittal sinus, region of tuberculum sellae,
edge of sphenoidal ridge, margin of falx
cerebri & tentorium
16. Meningioma – derived blood supply from
arteries supplying the dura
17. Meningioma – sand like deposits
(psammoma bodies)
18. Pituitary adenoma – macroadenomas are
usually hormonally inactive;
microadenomas seek medical attention
bec of abnormal hormone secretion
19. Craniopharyngoma – most are suprasellar
within the pituitary fossa (Rathke’s area)
20. Schwannoma – most common tumor of
cerebellopontine angle
21. Metastasis – hematogenous spread
22. Primary possible sites of Metastasis –
melanoma, lung, breast, colon, kidney
23. Subdural hematoma – crescentic
configuration
24. Epidural hematoma – result of injury to
meningeal vessels (arterial); it is a
neurosurgical emergency; occur between
the dura and calvaria – constrained
resulting in biconvex configuration
25. Subdural & epidural empyema – may
extend to interhemispheric fissure
26. Cerebritis and brain abscess – most often
from hematogenous dissemination of
infectious agent, often from the lung; ring
enhancement become apparent
27. Atypical bacteria, fungi & parasites: Taenia
solium – encysted larvae dies eliciting
inflammatory reaction leading to seizures
and ring enhancing brain lesions
28. Cerebral infarction: MRI findings –
demonstrates ischemic changes earlier
than CT
29. Saccular Aneurysms: Most common sites –
proximal segment of MCA, anterior
communicating artery, junction between
the internal carotid & posterior cerebral
artery
30. Multiple Myeloma – salt and pepper
appearance
OSSEOUS SYSTEM
1. Traumatic Lesions of Bones: Incomplete
fractures – greenstick (hickory stick or
willowy)  perforates cortex & ramify
within the medullary bone; torus
(buckling)  insufficient in force to create
 a complete discontinuity of bone, but
sufficient to produce buckling
2. Traumatic Lesions of Bones: Linear –
segmental  fracture lines isolate a
segment of the shaft of a tubular bone
3. Terminology: Alignment – longitudinal
relationship of one fragment to another;
Apposition – degree of bone contact at
the fracture site; Avulsion – osseus
fragment is pulled from the parent bone
by a tendon or ligament
4. Special Types of Fractures: Pathologic
fracture – done is disrupted at the site of
preexisting abnormality, frequently by a
stress that would NOT have a fractured a
normal bone
5. Fatigue fractures – aka march fractures
6. Monteggia’s fracture – fracture of the
proximal ulna, associated with dislocation
of the proximal radius at the elbow joint
7. Galeazzi’s fracture – fracture radial shaft
w/ dislocation of inf. Radioulnar joint
8. Colle’s fracture – fracture of distal radius
with dorsal angulation of the distal
fragment; most common fracture in the
wrist
9. Smith’s fracture – fracture of distal radius
with palmar/ventral displacement
10. Compression fractures – most frequent
type of vertebral injury
11. STUDY Salter-Harris Classification
12. Scaphoid fracture – most common
fracture of the carpus
13. Fracture of the patella – transverse &
vertical
14. Bone Tumors – most commonly
METASTATIC
15. Age: <1y/o – metastatic neuroblastoma;
1-20y/o – Ewing’s tumor in tubular bones;
10-30y/o – osteosarcoma; >40y/o –
metastatic carcinoma, multiple myeloma,
chondrosarcoma
16. Periosteal new bone formation: Lamellar
 acute osteomyelitis; Solid/compact
hyperostosis  chronic osteomyelitis;
Layered/laminated/ onion-skin  Ewing’s
tumor; hair on end  Ewing’s tumor;
sunburst  osteosarcoma; buttress 
aneurismal bone cyst
17. Endochondroma – most common tumor
encountered in the bones of the hand
18. Ollier’s dse – congenital osseous dysplasia,
multiple endochondromas at the ends of
long bones
19. Mafucci’s syndrome – assoc with multiple
cavernous hemangiomas
20. Osteochondroma (Exostosis) – cauliflower
shaped
21. Osteoma: skull – frontal & ethmoid sinus;
Gardner’s syndrome – osteomas w/
colonic polyposis
22. Unicameral or Solitary Bone Cyst – fallen
fragment sign
23. Neurofibroma of the spinal nerve root –
dumbbell type
24. Metastatic carcinoma – present as pain
25. Multiple myeloma – most common
primary tumor arising within bone
26. Osteosarcoma – most common primary
malignant tumor of bone; Osteoblastic –
most common histologic type of
osteosarcoma; Mixed – most common
radiographic form of osteosarcoma
27. Codman’s triangle – irregular/sunburst
periosteal reaction
28. Ewing’s tumor – primary malignant tumor
arising from red bone marrow
29. Solitary bone lesions: most common
solitary lesion = cortical defect or non
ossifying fibroma (children before closure
of epiphyses)
30. Staph aureus – most frequently involved
organism in bone infxn
31. Sequestrum – segment of cortical bone
isolated in the midst of a chronic infxn &
devoid of blood supply
 32. Involucrum – shell of bone formed by the genotype; partial H mole – contain fetal
periosteum that surrounds and enclose tissue or amniotic membranes, polyploidy
the sequestrum genotype.
33. Read Xray findings of osteoarthritis

Male & Female GUT

LOVE LOVE LOVE BIATCHES!!!
1. Transition Zone of prostate – site of
benign prostatic hyperplasia
2. Peripheral & central zones (prostate) –
primary tumor site in 70-80% cases
3. Prostatic CA – Read all
4. Scrotum: epididymal head – superior to
testis
5. Testicular Torsion (TIANGSSEN!!!!) –
diagnosis should be prompt, w/in 6 hrs to
ensure testicular viability
6. Varicocele – read all

OB Gyne Radiology

1. 1st trimester – read all

2. Blighted ovum – read all
3. Ectopic pregnancy – test for quantitative
serum β-HCG determination (lower than
normal pregnancy and plateaus rather
than rise with time)
4. Fetal death – read all
5. Placenta previa – most common cause of
vaginal bleeding in 2nd or 3rd trimester
6. Abruptio placenta – painful vaginal
bleeding
7. Leiomyoma – most common benign
neoplasm of the uterus
8. Adenomyosis – deposits of endometrial
glands within the myometrium
9. Endometrial CA – most common
malignant neoplasm of the uterine body
10. Cervical CA – second most common
uterine neoplasm
11. Gestational Trophoblastic Dse: increased
serum β-HCG level; clinical hallmark –
vaginal bleeding in 1st tri or early 2nd
trimester; complete or classic H mole – no
fetal tissue or amniotic membranes, 46 XX