Radiology - Signs (Subscribe)  

Radiology case 331-3327 Clinical presentation: Mature adult female, previous abdominal surgery, now presents with back pain.
The view shows an area of dense sclerosis in the body of the second lumbar vertebra without enlargement of the vertebral body. The anterior cortical margin cannot be seen against the desnity, but its anterior edge...

scoliosis notes, links & illustrations. Scoliosis as a radiological sign

* 1. idiopathic adolescent
* 9:1 F:M
* 12-18y
* 2. painful - osteoid osteoma of a pedicle
* 3. post radiation - rx of Wilm's tumor on affected...

* seen on oblique views of lumbar spine
EYE pedicle
NOSE transverse process
EAR superior articular facet
NECK ...

vertical avulsion fracture of the proximal lateral tibia at the insertion of the lateral capsular ligament
associated with other injury:
* ACL tear
* meniscal tear

sequelae of osteomyelitis
* sequestrum
o necrotic bone, often denser than surroundings
o may be resorbed, discharged thru a sinus tract, or persist as a focus of continued infection...

* osteogenesis imperfecta
* hypophosphatasia

short metacarpals found with -
* idiopathic
* trauma
* infarction (e.g., Hb SS)
* Turner syndrome (4th, +/- 3rd and 5th)
* pseudo- and pseudopseudo-hypoparathyroidism (4th & 5th)
* basal-cell nevus syndrome
* Noonan syndrome
* multiple epithelial dysplasia
* Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
* juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
* hereditary exostosis

mnemonic: "HELP ME"
* hemangioma
* epidermoid / dermoid
* leptomeningeal cyst
* lambdoid suture defect
* Paget's (osteoporosis circumscripta)
* post-surgical

* metastasis (solitary)
* eosinophilic granuloma
* encephalocele

Soft tissue calcifications pop up all of the time, and it behooves the radiologist to say something intelligent about them. Fortunately the differential diagnosis for this finding is not too difficult. Soft tissue calcifications are usually caused by one of the following six entities.
Dystrophic
CPPD
Metastatic calcification
Tumoral calcinosis
Metastatic osteosarcoma
Primary soft tissue...

round/oval subcutaneous calcifications
* characteristic of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Radiology cases 321-328. Clinical presentation: Acute onset of back pain and leg weakness in a 55 year old man.
The upper cuts, above the carina and aotic arch, in this computed tomography series show contrast in the theca ending at an obstructing soft-tissue mass in the canal. The relative lucency of the...

spontaneous osteolysis several syndromes of "vanishing bones": (Cf: rapid demineralization) idiopathic hereditary osteolysis autosomal dominant, manifest in early childhood carpals + tarsals involved first autosomal-recessive carpal and tarsal osteolysis idiopathic osteolysis with nephropathy carpals, tarsals, adjacent tubular bones involved azotemia --> death in early adulthood massive osteolysis of Gorham angiomatous...

systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE)
Jaccoud's

a gap between the scaphoid and the lunate bones suggesting a rupture of the scapho-lunate ligament
seen on x-ray, CT and MRI of the wrist
Terry Thomas was a British actor whose career was most active in the sixties.
the reference is to the prominant gap between his front teeth
many radiologists have taken...

The teardrop sign, which can be seen on the standard lateral radiograph of the ankle in the neutral position, is useful in diagnosing ankle effusions of 5 mL or larger.
The ankle teardrop sign. Dodge JP. Radiology. 2004 Jun;231(3):789-90. Full text