The most important, critical, deadly and dangerous radiology diagnoses are, inter alia (and roughly from top to bottom):
Head
Skull (including orbital) fracture, meningitis, intracranial bleeding (epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage), space occupying lesions (abscesses, tumors), traumatic brain injury, brain herniation, hydrocephalus, ischemic stroke, endophthalmitis, rhinocerebral mucormycosis, malignant external otitis
Neck and cervical spine
Carotid artery dissection or stenosis, cervical spine fractures (Jefferson, Hangman’s, burst), atlantoaxial subluxation epiglottitis, retropharyngeal and peritonsillar abscesses
Chest and thoracic spine
Thoracic aortic aneurism, dissection or rupture; tension pneumothorax, hemothorax, esophageal perforation, pulmonary embolism, complications of endotracheal intubation (right main stem bronchus intubation, bronchus intermedius intubation, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium, subcutaneous emphysema, hypopharyngeal intubation, esophageal intubations, cuff overinflation), echocardiography (wall motion abnormalities, cardiac tamponade, valvular rupture), pneumonia, lung carcinoma, lymphoma, diaphragmatic rupture, flail chest.
Abdomen and lumbar spine
Extraluminal gas (including pneumoperitoneum, pneumoretroperitoneum, pneumatosis intestinalis, pneumobilia), hemoperitoneum, necrotic bowel, abdominal aortic aneurism, acute cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, acute mesenteric ischemia, appendicitis, diverticulitis, intussusception, toxic megacolon, retroperitoneal hematoma, discitis/osteomyelitis, spinal epidural abscess, spinal chord compression, hydronephrosis, nephrolithiasis, ovarian torsion, ectopic pregnancy, testicular torsion
Extremities
Fournier’s gangrene, necrotizing fasciitis, osteomyelitis.
References
- Emergency Cross-Sectional Radiology by Daniel Y. F. Chung et al (2012)
- CT for the Nonradiologist (2011).
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