Friday, August 12, 2011

Reading CT Scan of Brain

Presentation by Mr Arshad 27 July 2011>

CT Scan speaks the language of DENSITY

the brighter or whiter - more dense

why gray matter is more dense compared with the white matter
- gray matter composed of cell bodies, more dense because of the vascularity (blood supply)

- white matter composed of neurones, less dense, looks grey

3 normal calcification in the CT brain
1. bilateral choroid plexus
2. pineal region

they made a pyramid

sometimes the calcification can be seen in area of basal ganglia or thalamus

Mass effect & Midline shift

If there is tumour or lesion compressing the brain, there'll be mass effect
- sulci effaced
- sylvian fissure effaced etc

how to know the midline shift
- measure from septum pellucidum

A scan can have mass effect without midline shift
but cannot have midline shift without mass effect

CT brain with contrast
how to know?
the contrast will be in the veins, arteries and slyvian fissure

Extradural Haemorrhage

Why EDH has lens shape (convex)
- because there is no subdural space for the blood to go, so it expands
- stripping of dura
- associated with fracture

Why EDH not hyperdense
1. patient is anaemic
2. fresh blood, blood still not coagulate
3. patient has coagulopathy, blood didn't clot

Subdural Haemorrhage

Why concave shape
- blood collected along the space

Acute SDH
- within 2 weeks of haemorrhage
- blood still clot

Subacute SDH
- after 2 weeks of haemorrhage
- blood started to liqufied

Subdural haemorrhage usually causing midline shift and produce oedema

Chronic SDH

Vascular layer of the brain situated within subarachnoid space (between pia and arachnoid)

Haemorrhage due to aneurysm usually in basal cistern (weak blood vessel)

Subarachnoid haemorrhage
-usually traumatic
-at sulci

blood in CSF
-can be also in the ventricle

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