Diagnostic Imaging, Ultrasound, and Interventional Radiology

This is a unique question-and-answer chapter for surgical residents and trainees, concentrating on the diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, and interventional radiology. Patients with flow-limiting intimal defects should be explored. Posterior knee dislocation is associated with popliteal arterial injuries. These patients should undergo diagnostic imaging to rule out popliteal artery injury. Good diagnostic quality computed tomography (CT) angiographic extremity examinations require careful patient preparation, to give images that will provide the necessary information. The use of abdominal ultrasound for detecting the need for operative intervention in a patient who has sustained a penetrating trauma to the abdomen carries a low sensitivity and a high specificity. A normal ultrasound examination of the thoracic cavity demonstrates the rib, the sliding of the pleura, and the presence of a comet tail artifact. Sternal fracture is a diagnosis that can be made using ultrasound, and some reports suggest that ultrasound is more sensitive and specific for this injury than plain radiology.