Cases to read, scroll and learn from.
Real imaging studies with the history, findings and discussion. Switch on quiz mode to hide the answer and test yourself first.
Normal chest radiograph
Pre-employment health check. No symptoms.
Left pneumothorax
Sudden left-sided pleuritic chest pain and breathlessness.
Right lower zone pneumonia
Three days of fever, productive cough and right-sided pleuritic pain.
3 Pleural effusion
Progressive breathlessness over several weeks. Dull percussion note at the base.
2 Pneumoperitoneum
Sudden severe epigastric pain, now generalised. Rigid abdomen on examination.
2 Small bowel obstruction
Colicky central abdominal pain, vomiting and distension. Previous laparotomy.
2 Acute appendicitis
Periumbilical pain migrating to the right iliac fossa, with anorexia and low-grade fever.
Cholelithiasis
Recurrent right upper quadrant pain after fatty meals.
Extradural hematoma
Head injury after a fall. Brief loss of consciousness, now increasingly drowsy.
2 Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Sudden “worst ever” headache reaching peak intensity within a minute, with vomiting.
Saddle pulmonary embolism
Sudden breathlessness and collapse ten days after hip surgery. Tachycardic and hypoxic.
Aortic dissection (Stanford type A)
Abrupt tearing chest pain radiating to the back. Known hypertension.
Staghorn calculus
Recurrent urinary tract infections. Imaged during work-up.
2 Distal radius fracture
Fall onto an outstretched hand. Painful, swollen wrist.
2 Neck of femur fracture
Fall at home. Unable to bear weight; right leg shortened and externally rotated.
Ileocolic intussusception
Episodes of inconsolable crying with drawing up of the legs, and vomiting.
Croup (steeple sign)
Barking cough and inspiratory stridor after a few days of coryza.
Sigmoid volvulus
Gross abdominal distension and absolute constipation over two days.
2 Cardiogenic pulmonary edema
Worsening breathlessness and orthopnoea. Bibasal crackles and ankle swelling.