Cross Sectional Anatomy (CSA) Notes

womp womp

What are some advantages of CSA?

no superimposition of anatomy + 3D imaging

What term is used to describe the images in CSA?

slices

What is CT?

computed tomography

What are Hounsfield Units?

an attenuation coefficient assigned to each pixel in digital imaging

What is another name for the Hounsfield Units?

CT numbers

What is a high attenuation coefficient indicative of?

dense anatomy

What is the Hounsfield Unit for water?

0

What is water referred to as regarding Hounsfield Units?

base point

What is the Hounsfield Unit for air?

-1000

Positive coefficients in CT appear as what colors?

light gray to white

Middle coefficients in CT appear as what colors?

varying shades of gray

Negative coefficients in CT appear as what colors?

dark gray to black

What modality uses magnetic fields and radio frequencies to produce images?

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

What determines the level of visualization of structures in MRI?

signal strength

What color is associated with a stronger signal in MRI?

lighter gray to white

What color is associated with a weaker signal in MRI?

darker gray to black

What body plane divides the body into superior and inferior portions?

axial plane

The axial plane is most commonly seen in which modality?

CT

How are the slices in CT viewed?

feet/down-up

The top of a slice in CT is known as what aspect of the patient?

anterior aspect

What body plane divides the body into anterior and posterior portions?

coronal plane

What modality uses the coronal and sagittal plane?

MRI

What body plane divides the body into right and left portions?

sagittal plane

Which modality is ideal for trauma cases?

CT

Which modality is ideal for soft tissue details?

MRI

If the cerebral spinal fluid in an MRI image is dark, what type of image is it?

T1 weighted

If the cerebral spinal fluid in an MRI image is light, what type of image is it?

T2 weighted

What term describes the loss of blood flow to the brain due to brain tissue damage?

stroke

What is the most common type of stroke?

ischemic

What type of stroke is characterized by a blocked blood vessel in the brain?

ischemic

What type of stroke is characterized by bleeding in or around the brain?

hemorrhagic stroke

What term describes having broken blood vessels in the brain due to high blood pressure?

intracerebral

What term describes bleeding in the subarachnoid space?

subarachnoid

What terms describe rapid bleeding in the brain with arterial blood?

epidural hematoma

What terms describe slow bleeding in the brain with venous blood?

subdural hematoma

What type of hematoma appears as a lemon?

epidural

What type of hematoma appears as a banana?

subdural

What term describes the accumulation of CSF in the brain’s ventricles?

hydrocephalus

What term describes the enlargement of the abdominal aorta?

abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)

What pathology causes AAA?

artherosclerosis