1/Radiologist not answering the phone? Just want a quick read on that stat head CT? Here's a little help on how to do it yourself w/a thread on how to read a head CT!

Waving the white flag when it comes to white matter anatomy?   Turns out white matter anatomy isn’t black & white!   Diffusion tensor imaging or DTI can help us to see the different systems in the white matter.   But often we don’t have DTI on routine brain MRIs.   So how can we tell if pathology is affecting important white matter functional anatomy?   We have to estimate, based on landmarks   Here’s how to remember the major tracts: Motor tracts/Posterior Limb of the Internal Capsule/Corticospinal tract: Corticospinal tract goes through your CORE. What is central in the brain? The ventricles!! It runs along the lateral aspect of the lateral ventricles   Corpus Callosum: Letter C looks like the curves of the splenium and genu of the corpus callosum   Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus: What is superior & long in your body—your arms!  Superior longitudinal fasciculus looks like arms hanging down along the lateral aspect of the brain   Inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus & Inferior longitudinal fasciculus What’s inferior & long in your body—your legs!  These curve around posteriorly and inferiorly, like two legs with their heels touching   So now you can always find the major white matter tracts!  Hopefully, now you can be right about what’s white!

Worried that hydrocephalus is hiding in plain sight?   Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) can mimic volume loss   How can you tell the difference?   Many findings can be seen with NPH—you may use 1 or more.  But do you know how well your sign performs?   Here are how common NPH signs perform:   Evans index SENS: 100 SPEC: 74   Cingulate sulcus sign: SENS: 63 SPEC: 61   Callosal angle: SENS: 49 SPEC: 78   Disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid spaces (DESH): SENS: 94 SPEC: 41   Anteroposterior diameter of the lateral ventricle index: SENS: 98 SPEC: 100   For the SINPHONI trial, a combination of Evans index > 0.3 & DESH had a 70-80% PPV for shunt responsiveness.   Now you know the signs of NPH & how good they may or may not be.  Hopefully, you can now set the bar high when it comes to hydrocephalus!

Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there!!! Just because you don’t see all cranial nerves on MRI doesn’t mean they aren’t there! You must know their anatomy so you know when pathology might affect them. Here is a figure w/the anatomy you NEED to know! ➡️Just remember this easy rule of four from Peter Gates: There are: 🔸 4 cranial nerves from above the pons (including 2 from the midbrain) 🔸4 from the pons 🔸And 4 from the medulla oblongata! Now you won't have be nervous when it comes to this nerve anatomy!

1/Ready for a throw down? MMA fights get a lot of attention, but MMA (middle meningeal art) doesn’t get the attention it deserves! This month’s @theAJNR SCANtastic tells you all you need to know! ajnr.org/content/47/6/1515