AJR. American journal of roentgenology
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Jan 2014
Ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction: cumulative effect of cost, radiation, and turnaround time on the patient and the health care system.
The purpose of this study was to reiterate the predominance of CT in evaluating ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction in terms of cost-effectiveness, reduction of radiation exposure, and turnaround time as the measurement parameters. ⋯ Shunt series radiography is a low-yield diagnostic imaging modality for identifying shunt malfunction and prolongs turnaround time, increases medical cost, and exposes patients to unnecessary radiation.
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Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) typically prompts a search for an underlying ruptured saccular aneurysm, which is the most common nontraumatic cause. Depending on the clinical presentation and pattern of SAH, the differential diagnosis may include a diverse group of causes other than aneurysm rupture. ⋯ For the purposes of this review, we classify SAH into three main patterns, defined by the distribution of blood on unenhanced CT: diffuse, perimesencephalic, and convexal. The epicenter of the hemorrhage further refines the differential diagnosis and guides subsequent imaging. Additionally, we review multiple clinical conditions that can simulate the appearance of SAH on CT or MRI, an imaging artifact known as pseudo-SAH.