Radiographic Pathology For Technologists Ch. 7

Front 1

Meningomyelocele

Back 1

Protrusion of the membranes that cover the spine and the spinal cord itself. Bony encasement is spina bifida. 1st month of pregnancy. Some develop hydrocephalus.

Front 2

Hydrocephalus

Back 2

Abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within cavities called ventricles inside the brain, congenital or aquired.
Noncommunicating hydrocephalus - Normal circulation can be interrupted by obstruction to flow. Tumor, growth, trauma, inflammation
Communicating Hydrocephalus - impaired absorption. Arises from increased intracranial pressure from tumors, infammation from meningitis etc
Requires shunt which xrays can demonstrate

Front 3

Meningitis

Back 3

Inflammation of the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord. Caused by virus, bacteria or other organisms from trauma.
Viral Meningitis is less severe and goes away w/o meds
Bacterial Meningitis can be severe - 3 types of bacteria.
1. Meningococci - common in infants.
2. Streptococci - Common in children
3. Pneumococci - Common in adults
Neisseria meningitidis and streptococcus pneumoniae are the leading causes of bacterial meningitis
Spinal tap is required to diagnose

Front 4

Encephalitis

Back 4

Inflammation of the brain usually caused by viral infection.AKA acute viral encephalitis or aseptic encephalitis. May follow chicken pox, small pox, flu, and measles. Rare disease. Most common in children, elderly and the immunocompromised.
Syptoms include headache, malaise and coma

Front 5

Brain Abscess

Back 5

An encapsulated accumulation of pus within the cranium resulting from a cranial infection, a penetrating head wound or an infection spread through the bloodstream. Can destroy brain cells.
Symptoms: fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting, seizures, and personality changes.
Subdural empyema - pus accumulation between the dura mater and arachnoid.

Front 6

Degenerative Disk Disease and Herniated Nucleus Pulposus

Back 6

Herniated Nucleus Pulposus may result from either a degenerative disease or trauma. A weakened or torn annulus fibrosus is subject to rupture which allows the nucleus pulposus to protrude and compress spinal nerve roots. C6-C7 and L5-S1 Most common sites with L-Spine 15 times more likely.
Radiculopathy - any disease affecting the spinal nerve roots.
Herniated Disks happen more in middle aged and older men. Other risks include congenital conditions that affect the size of the lumbar spinal canal

Front 7

Cervical Spondylosis

Back 7

Osteoarthritic conditions leading to nerve disorders caused by chronic nerve root compression. Most noticable on oblique c-spine.
Osteophytes (spurs) form in the articular facets of the c-spine and compress the nerves in the intervertebral foramina. May need laminectomy and decompression procedures

Front 8

Multiple Sclerosis

Back 8

Thought to be an autoimmune disease that affects the CNS. MS involves the demyelination of nerves resulting in poor conduction between nerves. Leaves behind scar tissure called sclerosis or MS plaques.
4 clinical courses of the disease:
Relapse-Remitting - Flare ups and then recovery, Most common form, 85%
Primary Progressive - Continual worsening with no relapse or remissions. Rare 10%
Secondary-Progressive - Experience an initial relapsing-remitting period followed by worsening. 50%
Progressive-Relapsing - Steadily worsening from onset but have acute relapses with or w/o recovery. 5%

Front 9

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)

Back 9

A stroke is the damage to a part of the brain when its blood supply is suddenly cut off. 3rd leading cause of death in USA.
2 types:
1. Ischemic - blockage of artery in brain from blood clot
2. Hemorrhagic - Rupture of an artery in brain.
Risk factors - non-treated High blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, family history, arteriosclerosis, and abnormal heart rhythm

Front 10

Ischemic Strokes

Back 10

Lacunar Infarction - small deep infarcts that result from occlusion of a penetrating artery. 1/4 of all strokes.
Atherothrombic Brain Infarction (ABI) - an infarct caused by thrombosis of a cerbral artery
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)- Last only a few minutes due brief interruption of blood to brain. Usually precede and ABI

Front 11

Hemorrhagic Stroke

Back 11

Occurs when a blood vessel bursts inside of the brain. Both swelling and hematoma will compress and displace normal brain tissue. Assoc. with high blood pressure. Another cause is an aneurysm.
Can also be caused by accumulation of proteins called amyloids within the artery walls.

Front 12

Neoplastic Diseases

Back 12

Only cause 10% of deaths from cancers. Location of growth is important whether or not its malginant due to pressure on the brain.

Front 13

Gliomas

Back 13

Brain tumor tha develops from a glial cell. Most common type of brain tumor. 50% of all brain tumors and 1/5 of all spinal cord tumors. Dificult to treat and remove.

Front 14

Astrocytomas

Back 14

Develops from start-shaped glial cells called astrocytes that support nerve cells. Most commonly located in frontal lobe. Most common primary CNS tumor. Slow-growing and low malginancy

Front 15

Glioblastoma Multiforme

Back 15

Advanced astrocytoma - highly malignant. Most common and most malignant glial tumor. Affects adults mostly but can affect brain stem and spinal cord in children

Front 16

Oligodendroglioma

Back 16

A type of glioma and develops from cells called oligodendrocytes. They produce the fatty covering of nerve cells. This tumor is normally found is the cerebrum particularly in the frontal or temporal lobes
Two types: A well-differentiated tumor, which grows slowly or an anaplastic oligodendrogioma, which grows quickly
More common in adults and in men

Front 17

Ependymoma

Back 17

Rare type of glioma. Develop from the ependymal cells which line the ventricles.Most commonmly found in the cerebrum. Tumors at base of brain called posterior fossa are more likely in children
Ependymomas of the spine account for over 50% of all spinal tumors

Front 18

Medulloblastoma

Back 18

Malignant tumors formed from poorly developed cells at a very early stage in their life. Develop in the cerebrum in the posterior fossa but can spread.
Usually occure in children ages 3-8. Account for 1 in 5 of all childhoood brain tumors. More common in males.

Front 19

Meningioma

Back 19

Tumor of the meninges. Common in 4 lobes of brain. Most are benign. 1/5 of all brain tumors. Found in middle aged or elderly adults. More common in women.

Front 20

Pituitary Adenoma

Back 20

Most are benign. Malignant one are very rare. Most are found in older people. Almost all are adenoma wich don't spread out of the skull and stay near pituitary. Can cause giantism.

Front 21

Craniopharyngioma

Back 21

Benign, slow growing tumor that predominately involves the sellas and suprasellar space. Can behave malignantly

Front 22

Tumors of the Central Nerve Sheath Cells

Back 22

10% of all intracranial tumors and most common in middle aged and elderly adults
Acoustic neruilemmoma
Acoustic Neuroma
Schwannoma

Front 23

Metastases from Other sites

Back 23

Metastatic brain tumors are about 10 times more common than primary brain tumors. Cancers of the lung, breast, colon and kidney as well as malginant melanoma are the most common metastatic brain tumor origins