Radiology Mnemonics

Radiology Mnemonics: Unlocking Imaging Interpretation Made Easy

A

Anterior mediastinal masses: 4 T’s:

• Teratoma
• Thymoma
• Testicular-type
• T-cell / Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • Reference: http://medicalmnemonics.com/

C

Chest radiograph: checklist to examine: “Pamela Found Our Rotation Particularly Exciting; Very Highly Commended Mainly ‘Cus She Arouses”:

• Patient details
• Film details
• Objects (eg. lines, electrodes)
• Rotation
• Penetration
• Expansion
• Vessels
• Hila
• Costophrenic angles
• Mediastinum
• Cardiothoracic Ratio
• Soft tissues and bones
• Air (diaphragm, pneumothorax, subcut. emphysema)
  • Author: Andrew Booshan

Chest X-ray interpretation: ­ Preliminary is ABCDEF:

• AP or PA
• Body position
• Confirm name
• Date
• Exposure
• Films for comparison

­ Analysis is ABCDEF:

• Airways (hilar adenopathy or enlargement)
• Breast shadows/ Bones (rib fractures, lytic bone lesions)
• Cardiac silhoutte (cardiac enlargement)/ Costophrenic angles (pleural effusions)
• Diaphragm (evidence of free air)/ Digestive tract
• Edges (apices for fibrosis, pneumothorax, pleural thickening or plaques)/ Extrathoracic tissues
• Fields (evidence of alveolar filling)/ Failure (alveolar air space disease with prominent vascularity with or without pleural effusions)
  • Author: Fahed Al-Daour

Chest X-ray: cavitating lesions differential: “If you see HOLES on chest X-ray, they are WEIRD“:

• Wegener’s syndrome
• Embolic (pulmonary, septic)
• Infection (anaerobes, pneumocystis, TB)
• Rheumatoid (necrobiotic nodules)
• Developmental cysts (sequestration)
• Histiocytosis
• Oncological
• Lymphangioleiomyomatosis
• Environmental, occupational
• Sarcoid
• ­ Alternatively: L=Left atrial myxoma
  • Author: LW Mason, and Anonymous Contributor 4th Year Medical Student and Not Specified

D

Dermatomyositis or polymyositis: risk of underlying malignancy

• Risk is 30% at age 30.
• Risk is 40% at age 40, and so on.
  • Reference: http://medicalmnemonics.com/

E

Esophageal cancer: risk factors: ABCDEF:

• Achalasia
• Barret’s esophagus
• Corrosive esophagitis
• Diverticuliis
• Esophageal web
• Familial
  • Author: Lau Yue Young Geoffrey HKU

Elbow ossification centers, in sequence: CRITOE:

• Capitellum
• Radial head
• Internal epicondyle
• Trochlea
• Olecranon
• External epicondyle
• ­ In order: appear at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 years; each closes 2 years later.
  • Author: Vince Yamashiroya

H

Head CT scan: evaluation checklist: “Blood Can Be Very Bad”:

• Blood
• Cistern
• Brain
• Ventricles
• Bone
  • Reference: http://medicalmnemonics.com/

L

Lung cancer: main sites for distant metastases: BLAB:

• Bone
• Liver
• Adrenals
• Brain
  • Author: Ian Silver Queen’s University School of Medicine, Kingston, ON, Canada

Lung cancer: notorious consequences: SPEECH:

• Superior vena cava syndrome
• Paralysis of diaphragm (Phrenic nerve)
• Ectopic hormones
• Eaton-Lambert syndrome
• Clubbing
• Horner syndrome/ Hoarseness
  • Author: Rinku Uberoi

M

Mole: signs of trouble: ABCDE:

• Asymmetry
• Border irregular
• Colour irregular
• Diameter usually > 0.5cm
• Elevation irregular
  • Author: Oisin University College Cork

N

Neck sagittal x-ray: examination checklist: ABCD:

• Anterior: look for swelling
• Bones: examine each bone for fractures
• Cartilage: look for slipped discs
• Dark spots: ensure not abnormally big, or could mean excess blood
  • Author: Robert O’Connor University College Dublin

O

Osteoarthritis: x-ray signs: LOSS:

• Loss of joint space
• Osteopyhtes
• Subcondral sclerosis
• Subchondral cysts
  • Author: Gajan Rajeswaran Final Year Medical Student, Imperial College School Of Medicine, London

P

Pituitary endocrine functions often affected by pituitary-associated tumor: “Go Look For the Adenoma Please”:

• ­ Tropic hormones affected by growth tumor are:
• GnRH
• LSH
• FSH
• ACTH
• Prolactin function
  • Reference: http://medicalmnemonics.com/

Prognotic factors for cancer: general: PROGNOSIS:

• Presentation (time & course)
• Response to treatment
• Old (bad prog.)
• Good intervention (i.e. early)
• Non-compliance with treatment
• Order of differentiation (>1 cell type)
• Stage of disease
• Ill health
• Spread (diffuse)
  • Author: Cashman, Reidy, Motty, BB University of Queensland, Australia

T

“WW 2” (World War II):

• ­ Water is White in a T2
• ­ Conversely, a T1 scan shows fat as being whiter.
  • Author: Jason Galarneau Flinders University School of Medicine, South Australia

U

Upper lobe shadowing: causes: BREASTS:

• Beryllium
• Radiation
• Extrinsic allergic alveolitis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Sarcoidosis
• TB
• Siliconiosis
  • Author: A Bywaters