Emergency imaging assessment of acute, nontraumatic conditions of the head and neck.

Patients often present to the emergency department with a wide variety of nontraumatic infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic conditions of the head and neck. Because the use of cervical and neck computed tomography (CT) has become routine in the emergency setting, knowledge of the imaging findings of common acute conditions of the head and neck is essential to ensure an accurate diagnosis of these potentially life-threatening conditions, which include oral cavity infections, tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess, sialadenitis, parotiditis, diskitis, thrombophlebitis, periorbital and orbital cellulitis, infectious cervical lymphadenopathy, and various neoplasms. Less common conditions that require rapid diagnosis and treatment include epiglottitis, invasive fungal sinusitis, angioedema, and deep neck abscess. Familiarity with these conditions enables the radiologist to make a prompt diagnosis, assess the extent of disease, and evaluate for potential complications. CT is the first-line imaging modality in the emergency setting; however, magnetic resonance imaging plays an important secondary role.

Beyond broken spines-what the radiologist needs to know about late complications of spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: To describe expected imaging findings to assist the emergency room radiologist with recognising complications and pathology unique to the spinal cord injury (SCI) patient population to ensure rapid and accurate diagnosis. METHODS: Pictorial review. RESULTS: We review several imaging findings common to persons with chronic SCI, emphasising imaging in the emergency setting and on CT. CONCLUSION: SCI patients present a unique diagnostic challenge, as they may present with symptoms that are difficult to localise because of abnormal sensation and autonomic instability. Imaging plays an important role in the emergent setting, rapidly differentiating the most commonly encountered complications from less common, unanticipated complications. Radiologists need to be attuned to both the expected findings and potential complications, which may be unique to SCI patients, to ensure accurate diagnosis and treatment in the emergency setting. MAIN MESSAGES: • Medical complications after spinal cord injury are common and associated with significant morbidity. • Radiologists should be aware of complications unique to the SCI population to aid diagnosis. • Due to abnormal sensation, SCI patients often present with symptoms that are difficult to localise. • In the ED, imaging helps to rapidly differentiate common complications from less anticipated ones.